Shade Empire - "Daemon"
Self-Released
By Mark Bridgeman
A 3-track offering of melodic death from this Finnish sextet, showing Shade Empire to be quite impressive. This is the band's second EP, the first being 'Throne Of Eternal Night' in 2000 (only a year after they formed) and they've done a bloody good job!
Shade Empire sit firmly in the 'death with keyboards' school of extreme metal - the cookie monster vox are present, the double kick drum goes berko, and the keyboards provide the melody over solid, well-played guitar work.
Opening track 'Daemon' is the pick, with a great hook that carries on throughout the song, which had my foot tapping from the outset. A nice combination of melody, groove, and growling angst - not a combination I hear a lot of.
'...Ja Pimeys Laskeutui' is simply brilliant, with an opening piano piece breaking into a sweaty surge. 'Captured Inside A Black Dream', the closer, finishes everything off in fine fashion with another melody-laced screamfest.
If you're into the likes of In Flames and Dimmu Borgir then Shade Empire will more-than-likely be pleasing to your ears - in which case, definitely check them out!
Website: http://shadeempire.cjb.net/
Self-Released
By Mark Bridgeman
A 3-track offering of melodic death from this Finnish sextet, showing Shade Empire to be quite impressive. This is the band's second EP, the first being 'Throne Of Eternal Night' in 2000 (only a year after they formed) and they've done a bloody good job!
Shade Empire sit firmly in the 'death with keyboards' school of extreme metal - the cookie monster vox are present, the double kick drum goes berko, and the keyboards provide the melody over solid, well-played guitar work.
Opening track 'Daemon' is the pick, with a great hook that carries on throughout the song, which had my foot tapping from the outset. A nice combination of melody, groove, and growling angst - not a combination I hear a lot of.
'...Ja Pimeys Laskeutui' is simply brilliant, with an opening piano piece breaking into a sweaty surge. 'Captured Inside A Black Dream', the closer, finishes everything off in fine fashion with another melody-laced screamfest.
If you're into the likes of In Flames and Dimmu Borgir then Shade Empire will more-than-likely be pleasing to your ears - in which case, definitely check them out!
Website: http://shadeempire.cjb.net/
