Symphonic metal is a true craft – anyone who has ever lost their mind floating in heavenly-orchestrated instrumentals, glistening with majestic, haunting vocals, is well aware of the emotional force that lives within the genre. It takes a certain kind of band to do it well – and Empress have it all and then some.
The up-and-coming five-piece from the United States, centered around classically-trained singer Barbara Blackthorne and main songwriting mastermind and guitarist Vlad Khavin, are well on their way to conquering the big stages and setting people’s minds ablaze with kaleidoscopic arrangements – and with their latest single, “Into the Grey”, they are surely one step closer to symphonic metal sovereignty. Empress comments:
“Into the Grey” paints a picture of the moment just before leaving behind all that is familiar and diving into the unknown in order to chase your dreams. It is about sacrifice and the hope that can be born from it. It’s a spirited, driving symphonic power metal tune in the vein of bands such as earlier Nightwish and Kamelot. If you like your power metal uplifting and inspiring, this one’s for you!
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With scene giants like Nightwish or Within Temptation dominating the festival stages worldwide, reinforcement is on the way – Empress, who describe their intricate and energetic sound as symphonic power metal, might have just begun spreading their work three years back in 2019, but have steadily gained recognition among insider circles for their unique blend of different styles.
Building on Blackthorne’s powerful, versatile vocal abilities in seamless combination with Khavin’s composition skills, they manage to create their own sonic world for listeners to explore, utilizing various vocal techniques, genre-bending segues, and hard-hitting riffs that force listeners to simply bow before Empress. Thus, it isn’t a surprise that Swedish producer Dan Swanö, renowned for his involvement with Heaven Shall Burn, Hypocrisy or Bloodbath was put in charge of mixing and mastering their first full-length album Fateweaver (Release: August 19th) – carefully entwining musical universes that invite you to follow your imagination and brightest fantasies.
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