Vancouver progressive sludgers Empress originally came on my radar in July, which is when their debut LP, Premonition, was originally due for release. It was delayed until now and, for once, the delay was driven by good news, namely that Empress had been picked up by a label, Petrichor (which seems to be an off-shoot of Hammerheart Records). I guess a bit of time was then needed for the band and new label to get all their sludgy duckies in a row ready for the release. Frankly, it seems like the universe owed Empress some sort of a break anyway, after founding bassist Brenden Gunn tragically passed away suddenly in 2019 at the horribly unfair age of just 30.1 His bandmates – drummer Chris Doyle and guitarist / vocalist Peter Sacco – vowed to carry on and complete the album, ensuring it was a fitting tribute to their lost brother.
Premonition follows two EPs – one a split with German sludge metallers Piece – and is very much a refinement and natural development of the sound that Empress showed on those 2017 and 2018 releases. On those EPs, Empress built their sound around doom-laced sludge, very much in the mold of Black Tusk and Remission-vintage Mastodon. There were strong hints at a more progressive, post-metal sound there too but Premonition sees these tendencies dialed up significantly. Without abandoning their hardcore-influenced sludge roots (“Sepulchre” and “Hiraeth”), Empress sound like they have been on the sort of journey that ISIS went on, if you compare the spiky causticness of Celestial with ISIS’ later masterpiece, Oceanic. The heaviness, the big riffs and thundering bass all remain but they’ve been tempered, with many of the corners rounded off, allowing the more melodic and introspective passages room to breathe. Empress also make space for a few surprising – but welcome – old school leads, like the one that drops halfway through “Passage.”
Sacco’s vocals have similarly been smoothed and, where he previously deployed an urgent, doom-adjacent roar in the main, he now favors mournful cleans a la Crack the Skye-era Mastodon. The harsh vocals still make appearances, and are a welcome addition to Empress’ palette when they do so (like on opener “A Pale Wanderer” and “Sepulchre,” for example), but Empress have dramatically broadened their sound. Now falling somewhere between the brooding doom of YOB and the post-metal grandeur and beauty of ISIS, Premonition sees Empress willing to experiment. The almost black metal opening of “Trost” – which along with “Immer” from their debut EP makes me wonder if there is a German connection somewhere – the alternately contemplative, bass-led and tempestuous “Hiraeth,” and the progressive, wistful stylings of the title track all point to a band not short on confidence.
Particularly for a debut, Empress show an impressive ability to modulate their post-metal leanings with just the right dose of sludgy heaviness, to create an engaging record that feels both melodic and expansive, without losing its way at any point. This is nowhere more evident than one-two of the title track and album closer “Lion’s Blood,” which combine moments of fragility with mountain-sized riffs and roaring vocals to excellent effect. I should say that, for me at least, both “Sepulchre” and “Lion’s Blood” finish very suddenly, leaving a slightly unfinished impression in their abruptness but this is a minor quibble. Another minor complaint is the snare tone, which is a bit clipped for my taste, on an album that otherwise sports strong production. The guitar and bass tone on Premonition are both great, sounding full and somber, while retaining a slightly rough edge to their sound, giving Empress a bit of grit, even in their most delicate moments.
Although their EPs signaled that Empress undoubtedly had the talent to write a great record, I would never have put money on them making that step up in quality in a single bound and on their debut full-length outing. I don’t know whether Gunn’s tragic death led Empress’ two surviving members to throw caution to the wind finishing the record or if the Premonition I’ve heard is as the trio had always envisaged it would be. Either way, it’s a very good album, one of which Empress should be very proud and that stands as a fitting tribute to their bassist and fallen friend, Brenden Gunn.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Petrichor
Websites: thisisempress.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/EmpressBC
Release Date: October 9th, 2020
