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EMPIRE 21
Empire 21

Empire 21 (2014)
Rating: 8/10

Empire 21 is a new Swedish melodic rock band formed in 2013 by vocalist Germán Pascual and sticksman Tobias Enbert, who emerged from the ashes of CJ Grimmark’s defunct Narnia with a plan.

The idea was to form a new act around the axe talents of CJ, while also enlisting the talents of bassist Andreas Ålöv and keyboardist John Svensson. Sadly, Pascual would flee the nest but the band soldiered on, recruiting vocalist Ricard Hulteke as a replacement. It would be a match made in heaven, Hulteke’s soaring vocal melodies a perfect fit for the glossy power rock the band was hoping to produce.

This debut platter has been a long time coming, but now it has finally landed on the doormat and offers up 11 strong doses of melodic metal which, although very much contemporary by design, most certainly benefit from the mixing talents of Tobias Lindell (Europe, Hardcore Superstar) and mastering skills of Thomas “Plec” Johansson (Watain, Divinefire, Scar Symmetry). The overall result is a polished and yet powerful opus driven by those jabbing synths, jarring drums and above all that well-armoured guitar sound which seems to knit the whole steely composition together.

Richard Hulteke has a nice clear yet potent vocal prowess; his voice is easily discernible thanks to the fantastic production which allows each instrument to shine. Due to the length of time it has taken for the album to emerge it would suggest that the band has been extra methodical in constructing these powerhouse rhythms, with the final result being nary a filler in sight and every track from opener ‘When You’re Falling’ to the closing ‘No Matter The Winds Of Change’ being a tight-knit marrying of stirring melody and metallic masculinity.

Due to the vocal abilities of Hulteke, the band is able to craft out a versatile sound that blends subtlety with a harder edge, this being most evident on the excellent stirring ‘I Can’t’ with its insistent leads and harmonic heaviness. In fact, “harmonic heaviness” is the best way to describe a combo which isn’t quite beefy enough to be classed as power metal, and yet it’s an act which is robust enough to separate it from the lighter shades of epic metal.

By finding that middle ground Empire 21 unleashes a set of diverse yet always driving anthems which are happy to adopt a chugging vein (‘When You’re Falling’) while also incorporating a smooth vocal approach and pulsating synth effect. It would seem that throughout, Empire 21 has stuck to its guns, doing what it does best at building muscular tracks based upon a foundation of CJ Grimmark’s excellent guitar work. Some could argue that the record soon becomes predictable, but it’s not as if Empire 21 are advertising themselves as an avant-garde metal force – it’s simply a case of straight up melodic, yet strong metal with futuristic overtone. This comes to the fore with the mid-tempo rush of ‘Empire 21’ which again features a driving riff and catchy hook, as does the superb ‘Heard It All’ with its gruffer vocal sneer and killer lead. And for me, all the while the band keeps injecting the tried and tested ingredients then the songs are always going to maintain that same level of quality, culminating in the barrage of the aforementioned ‘No Matter The Winds Of Change’.

So, if you’re in the mood for a record that is comfortable within its own skin and rarely deviates from its own path, then I suggest you give Empire 21’s debut opus a few listens; proof that not all the best records have to be drenched in complexity when simplicity will do.

Neil Arnold

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