Metalcore? I’m reviewing metalcore? Say it ain’t so! It’s true though and I’m doing it for one reason only. The Empire Shall Fall are bringing something new to a genre that rarely has anything new to offer.
The Empire Shall Fall was formed by Killswitch Engage singer Jesse Leach back in 2008. Their first album – Awaken – was without a doubt a bit of a different feel than you would have expected. A bit metalcore, a bit jazz fusion, a bit punk and another bit experimental, it was the sound of a new band trying to coax metalcore listeners out of a slumber.
Volume 1: Solar Plexus still surprised me a bit though. Expanding on the first record with a heavy Meshuggah feel and being much more complex than your normal “core” bands, it’s a mish mash of heavy styles with jazzy touches throughout and challenging time signatures.
As the title would indicate, this is the first part of a series of records. Solar Plexus is the first of three EP’s to be released on 180 gram vinyl and digitally only initially. Once all three EPs are out, the band will put all of them on one CD and anyone that pre-ordered all three will get the CD free. All three CD’s have a common bond, however the band hasn’t yet indicated what this common bond is. Volume 1 consists of four songs and three transition pieces about starting your life over again after tragedy strikes.
This EP is damn good and the fact that the band is pushing the boundaries of their genre makes me like them even more. If the next two releases are as good, you’re possibly looking at a defining moment in the genre.
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