Empress – Fateweaver
Release Date: 19th August 2022
Label: Self Release
Bandcamp
Genre: Symphonic Metal, Power Metal.
FFO: Old School Nightwish, Kamelot, Within Temptation, EPICA.
Review By: Mark Waight
Empress have set the bar to an incredibly high standard indeed with their superb debut Symphonic Metal album, Fateweaver. Each of the nine wonderful tracks on Fateweaver are a smooth as chocolate decadent treat for both your ears and your mind, so prepare to be impressed.
Empress is a five-piece Philadelphia based Symphonic/Power metal band based around songwriting and guitar maestro Vlad Khavin along with classically trained vocalist Barbara Blackthorne. They make quite the pairing and deliver a highly polished compilation of tunes with some amazing vocals, dexterous guitar playing and beautiful orchestral compositions.
Opening number Legion ticks all the boxes. A fast-paced track with a high-octane rhythm, smooth as silk vocals and plenty of musical depth. Just what the Doctor ordered! Beyond the Sleep continues in the same vein with some sharp drumming, outrageous guitar playing and some added vocal growls showing off the diverse talents of Barbara Blackthorne.
Chimera is the latest single taken from the album and has a groovy middle eastern, tropical oasis, epic desert scene feeling to the music because of the fantastic orchestral arrangement and tight rhythm section. The Fall of Kingdoms hits you hard and fast, with an epic string arrangement throughout that is further enhanced by a super vocal performance from Barbara Blackthorne and a slick guitar solo by Vlad Khavin.
Next up is Black Arcana, which is a much darker song that has a sing-along, fists in the air, break out the air guitar old school metal vibe to it – excellent! Monarch is pure symphonic metal at its very best with a great variation in vocal styles in keeping with the super cool speed variations to the music.
Into the Grey ups the tempo once again with a heavy mix of guitars, keyboards and operatic vocals to create a stunner of a track. The surrounding orchestral parts play a massive part in the tracks size, giving it real backbone.
Immortelle is an absolute classic of a track, it creates a dark and despairing atmosphere with some outstanding vocals that reach some superb high notes in contrast to the heavy bass tones of the music – banging!
The final offering and probably my favourite track by the narrowest of margins is Eventide. This is because, in my opinion, it is a complete full-on vocal workout performance by Barbara Blackthorne and displays the sheer magnitude of talent she possesses. The guitar solo by Vlad Khavin is also worth a mention – it’s sublime!
Personally, I can’t wait to see what else Empress deliver in the future. I highly recommend this album to any fans of the Symphonic and Power Metal genres as a welcome return to old school musical style and composition. I am definitely an Empress fan now – these guys rock!
(4.5 / 5)
