Empire - Where The World Begins review
Having never heard of Empire before, I didn't quite know what to expect when listening to Where The World Begins for the first time. Let's just say I was hooked soon after. Hard-hitting riffs and exceptional vocals, Where The World Begins is certainly a triumph for the South West 5 piece.
Lead track and first single Black Hearts is a brilliant opener and reflection of what's to follow on the album in terms of standard. With a catchy melody and an introductory riff which packs a punch, Empire have truly got the balance right in terms of their signature sound.
The aforementioned combined with front man Joe Green's exemplary vocals (think a mixture of Incubus' Brandon Boyd, Coheed and Cambria's Claudio Sanchez with also a hint of Skindred's Benji Webbe thrown in for measure) are really what sets the album apart from the crowd. With a mature and competent sound, Where The World Begins is a stellar release and hopefully a promising insight into the band's future material. With eight tracks, (amounting to over 30 minutes) of catchy melodies, theatrical vocals and impressive musicality, Empire are a band to watch (or listen to) if you're a rock fan especially.
On the whole, song topics cover, pressure and judgement (All The Rage), being in a relationship with the wrong person (Black Hearts), questioning optimism (My Colour Optimistic), friends terrible decisions (Foolish Friends) and not trusting your instincts (The Smart Boy Regime) with personal favourites being (Future, Past and Present and Friendly Fools).
As a fairly recently formed band there's no surprise as to why Empire have received some pretty positive feedback. With the release of Where The World Begins it can only be presumed things will go the same way. Rivalling many of their more established rock counterparts, Where The World Begins is definitely up there in terms of 2013's new releases and a really solid release from Empire.