French extremists Backdawn unleash an all out assault on the senses with "I Shall Burn Your Empire". Chock full of heavy, monstrous riffs and agonized growls and pained screams, this album is a force from the jump. Plenty of melody in the guitars adds a nice balance of sound to the overall heavy feel. Tracks "Of Sand and Blood" and "The Path to Glory" throw in some really good clean vocals, with "Glory" having a huge riff that is the focal point of the song. Overall, the album is thoroughly enjoyable and one that I have listened to several times through already, finding new musical elements and vocals that I missed on previous listens. The variety of the vocals is also very dualistic and provides a solid back and forth between the clean and the death vocals. The guitar tones on this album are massive and the production is quite stellar, as it was handled by Annihilator's Jeff Walker, which explains the clarity and the focus on the guitar sound. This is one that will stay in my rotation a good deal going forward. Definitely take the time to give this one a spin!
(Lifeforce Records)
(Willowtip)
(Ibex Moon)
(Independent)
(Candlelight)
(The Artisan Era)
(Willowtip)
(Deathgasm Records)
(Prosthetic)
(Nuclear Blast)
(Grindhead Records)
(Metal Blade)
(Candlelight)
(Nuclear Blast)
(Remedy)
(Temple of Darkness)
(Black Lodge)
(Independent)
(American Recordings)
(Century Media)
