Angel Side Side Records (label)
17 November 2009 (released)
23 March 2010
At first The Empire Shall Fall’s debut LP 'Awaken’ seems like nothing new. The opening notes hark back to front man Jesse Leach’s former band Killswitch Engage. However half way through opener 'Awaken’, a surprising turn makes you stand up to take notice. It’s not the usual mellow interlude some Metal bands are known for. Its experimentation and follow through is something new and different.
The fun doesn’t stop there as with 'Lords of War’ the riffs come fast and heavy and the tempo changes, not only in this, but throughout the album keep you guessing at every turn. There are even some surprisingly jazzy moments in stand out track 'We the People’, taking me back to the 'Mars Volta’s’ debut album 'De-Loused in the Comatorium’.
With all this praise you would think the album couldn’t possibly falter, but it does. There are too many breakdowns where Jesse goes into 'speech’ mode about war and politics. It feels like he is trying to grasp onto the last bit of straw that fell off the bandwagon when Bush left the White House. 'As the ashes clear, we saw the images of a city in ruins' is uninspired, but with Leach delivering them with enough passion it is almost forgivable.
However, overall the album is something fans of the lead singers past work will love. The production is crisp, the guitars are heavy and the vocals are as angry and sweet as ever. The only complaint most followers will have is that the album is only 8 songs long, but that’s hardly the biggest criticism now is it?
