Terror Empire
The Empire Strikes Back

After hearing the first release by Terror Empire, I wasn’t so sure that I really felt the urge to hear how it sounded when the Empire stroke back. But this is what they are doing right now, striking back with their debut album that is being released by Nordavid Records, a label stating that they “wouldn't release any Thrash Metal record, but then again, TERROR EMPIRE's "The Empire Strikes Black" isn't ANY Thrash Metal record! Sure, it's fast, heavy, groovy, it features blazing solos, double bass, blast beats and evil thrashy riffs... but it is a lot more than that! To put it simply, extreme metal can't get much better than this!” – yes, so they claim. I wonder what kind of evidence to provide that this isn’t ANY thrash metal record and that extreme metal can’t get much better than this. I thought their self-released album from three years ago was just that: ANY thrash metal album, but they may have evolved since then.

I think however, that when I listen to it I recognise this stuff as the same kind of music as that which I heard when listening to the debut a few years back. It is quite typical thrash metal, the sound is a bit dated to my ears and the style is a bit groovy thrash with some modern touches. There is a dozen tracks on the album and the variation is more or less what these kinds of albums do have, the singer is also a typical thrash metal singer and I have a hard time distinguishing those features that should differentiate this album from any other thrash metal album – it is hardly the 44 minute playing time. I think that this is just an elongated version of their debut from 2012, it offers no real news value compared to that one.

It is a good album, easy to listen to and easy to like – especially if you are into the thrash metal genre. The audience for this album is probably those who enjoys the genre and doesn’t look for the next new and exciting band. In general and from a reviewers point of view I think that this album lacks freshness, it lacks that novelty you always want from a new album as I never find the sensation of déjà vu to be a positive mark when hearing a few tracks from a new album the first time I hear it. One has to wonder, what compels some artists to copy-paste the traditional styles and write songs that can be passed as the works of any other band in the genre.

I think that the best track of the album is the intro, the rest of the tracks are good but they will just drown amongst all those other tracks that have already been released in the genre. The thing is that it will be easy to dismiss this album as just another thrash metal album and that wouldn’t be completely wrong if you are someone who listens to many different types of music as it is not that much different from most other bands in the genre. But it is too good to just dismiss if you are a fan of the thrash metal genre, but in a way it is just ANY thrash metal album.

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