I Am Empire

I Am Empire

Written by: TL on 26/01/2011 15:06:23

A while back I was browsing Tooth And Nail's band roster, just to see how many of their bands I knew, when I stumbled over one that I didn't. That particular band is named I Am Empire, and their sophomore record "Kings" came out yesterday, and I aim to review that relatively soon, however, given that I've been checking out the band's 2009 debut while waiting for it, I might as well write a brief piece on that to get you people ready.

On this debut LP, which by the way is self-titled, I Am Empire showcase themselves as proponents of an emerging trend which sees various emo-rock elements mixed into more straight-forward rock formulas, and with screams being abandoned like last year's news, in favour of more room for the vocal acrobatics of a charismatic high-pitched singer. You might have heard something like it in recent bands like Conditions or Young Guns, or in old ones like Bedlight For Blueeyes.

In reality though, IAE sound the most I think, like Secret & Whisper, except they are a bit of dumbed-down version here. The vocals and guitar tones are similar, but the song-structures and the lyrical content is much more earth-bound, which I suspect will change the band's appeal quite considerably. That's not so much of a handicap though, seeing as the band still has a nack for writing cool riffs and catchy choruses, and while it's a bit obvious at times, songs like "Encompass Me", "Elevator" and "Carry On" show clear potential.

So, to not waste too much time on what is essentially a two year old record, I think it suffices to say that if you like emo-tinged rock music, and don't mind it being a little obvious and predictable at times, this band is one for you, and you can get stoked on this. This is solid potential, and if the band can go more ambitious without going over the top, I'm quite looking forward to spinning "Kings" for the first time in a minute:

Download: Encompass Me, Carry On, Elevator, You're A Fake
For The Fans Of: Conditions, Young Guns, Bedlight For Blueeyes, Secret & Whisper, Anberlin
Listen: myspace.com/iamempire

Release Date Spring 2009
**Self-released**

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