Bang

Empires really deserves more recognition and credit than they get. They are amazing. Favorite Tracks: -Bang -Voodooized -Intruder -Strangers

Everything Empires do is so good. The songs sound great and I LOVE the lyrics, as always. Needs more songs!

Great band. you personally don't care what I think about each individual song, so I'm going to be considerate enough of your time and pixels to just finish this review by saying this is good album. Thank you.

Can't say enough good things about this band. Fantastic album, wonderful live in concert. Truly a team of talented and gracious musicians.

With this new album Bang, Empires are growing up both in terms of lyrics and of the sound. They traded the diversity of Howl for a unified concept, which is love, lost and found, never completely lost nor completely found. Some of their previous mythological themes are still present, taking a clearer shape but being more on the decorative side than before. A highly enjoyable album on the whole, with Hello Lover being a crowd favorite in concerts, Bang the catchy energetic hit, and Voodoized showing a sensitive side that can leave few indifferent. There is not a single song that I would do without.

I really like the songs on this album, they are really good. I'm not going to lie about that. Though, I am deeply disappointed there are only 7. And that they released 5 of the 7 over the past three months for basically free. It's also not a good way to follow up their first album HOWL that had 13. That's a huge difference. Also, I'm shocked that it's almost $7 to purchase on itunes making each song almost a $1 each, which is pretty expensive. Most 12 track albums on here are only $9.99 (basically $10), much less. Again, pretty low blow there. I would get the album off their website, I'm pretty sure it's cheaper and it includes a bonus track "Animal", which is a beautiful song.

I have been a fan of Empires since their debut album, Howl, hit the scene. I have anticipated their follow-up eagerly, and they did not disappoint one bit! This album is more cohesive and mature, as Empires have figured out just where their strengths and their sound lies. Every track is something special and entirely its own, and always grounded by Sean Van Vleet's unique and intense vocals. I'd be hard pressed to choose a favorite, but it might be "Hello Lover", a sauntering, moody track with a deeply catchy rhythm on the choruses, driven by the hard-hitting drumming of Ryan Luciani. This album is also filled with thundering true rock and roll songs that draw on and evolve beyond my favorite song from their first album, "I Want Blood". "Bang" and "Damn Things Over" particularly induce an inescapable urge to dance along. "I Know You Know" is a elegant, beautiful song that gets right under your skin. And the opening track, "Voodooized", will draw you in with its haunting and enticing vocals and lyrics, wrapped up in an atmospheric swell of guitars and piano. This is a band to keep your eye on. They've achieved a truly phenomenal album entirely independently, and I think they'll be around for a good long while.

As their follow-up to their 2008 début, Chicago's Empires enter the year with a bang. The album opens with "Voodooized," an atmospheric track reminiscent of "Spit the Dark" from their previous effort. Things truly kick into gear with the danceable "Damn Things Over," a showcase for Sean Van Vleet's soaring vocals. The album's highlight is its title track. Ryan Luciani's energetic drumming, the MVP of this track, initiates the song and leads up to heavy chugging guitars and excited wails. This, one of their heaviest of their songs, displays Empires' ability to create arena-ready rock anthems in the future. The album takes a slow, sensual turn with the love song "Strangers," but just as quickly as the listener is brought into the light tone, the dark, brooding, and (dare I say) sexual "Hello Lover" begins. The energy flows into the fast-paced "Intruder," which boasts a melody sure to stay in your ears for weeks to come. The album closes on somewhat of a timid note with "I Know You Know." While not a bad track, it fails to keep up with any other song on the album and does not create the remarkable impressions the other do. "Bang" is a pivotal album for Empires. While "Howl" was quite impressive, it was easy to tell that the group was still experimenting with their musical direction. "Bang" defines their sound and perfects everything that made "Howl" great and earned the group their dedicated fanbase. Ready to be a force in rock music, Empires planned to make their presence known when making "Bang" and they succeeded.