Band:	Terror Empire
Album:	The Empire Strikes Black
Style:	Groove thrash metal
Release date:	February 23, 2015
A review by:	Susan

01. The Empire Strikes...
02. ...Black
03. The Servant
04. Skinned Alive
05. Revolution Now
06. The Route Of The Damned
07. Man Made Of Sand
08. Reality Check
09. Protective Wolves
10. Strings Of Rebellion
11. Good Friends Make The Best Enemies
12. Break The Cycle

"Adventure? Excitement? A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless." Reckless indeed, bitches! The sheer reckless aggression that Terror Empire serves up will destroy your eardrums like the Empire destroyed Alderaan. Groove, thrash, some death metal, a bit of hardcore, this melange of modern extreme metal lays in wait like an exogorth space slug.

"Luke. You will go to the Dagobah System. There you will learn from Sepultura and Angelus Apatrida, the Jedi Masters who instructed me." While their schooling may be audible, Terror Empire has transcended their influences and made metal music all their own, adding appropriate melody and an undeniable groove, with progressive elements aiding in the arc of each track. Basically, "When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master."

Like life aboard the Death Star, evil abounds on this record. But so does fun. Playful guitar solos such as in "Skinned Alive" and "Man Made Of Sand" remind us that even villains get to have a chuckle from time to time. "Laugh it up, Fuzzball." Now back to being evil. "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy" than this rhythm section. The heavy-as-fuck bass leads the charge alongside the driving, punishing, and quite intriguing drums. These guys are vital to the success of this album as they're constantly changing things up and keeping it both interesting and intense. No one is "flying casual" here. Every transition has its purpose.

Let's seriously talk about the melodies and atmosphere. While never stealing the spotlight away from the pure aggression in the instruments and vocals, this ingredient steadily balances the rawness of the music. "Maybe it's another drill?" Negative. Terror Empire falls into no common traps of melodic thrash or the like; this balance is all their own. Vocals are growled, screamed, and yelled, utilizing every opportunity for evil and pain, and the atmosphere follows.

Ok, ok, it's good. "Great, kid. Don't get cocky." After a successful EP release in 2012, this is still only their debut. If they packed this much evil into a debut then their future looks very bright indeed. Let's see how they handle the challenge of a sophomore album. "Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dustin' crops, boy!"

"The force groove is strong with this one." Now stop making out with your sister and "give yourself to the Dark Side." Preview third track "The Servant" at their bandcamp site and then pre-order the album. The Empire Strikes Black is out February 23rd on Nordavind Records.