Notes on "Fateweaver" by Empress (Poll Closed)

 

(The poll is now officially closed, and the results are in! With 94.4% in favor, FATEAEAVER by Empress has officially been inducted into the TRAPPO Essentials Can(n)on! Thanks to everybody who voted! -Dustin)

"The metal scene – especially the power metal scene – is very underground here, but there is definitely a community for it! The North American Power Metal scene has some incredible talent in it, and it’s fun to be a part of because it’s sort of like we’ve all sought each other out and are banding together. So far as the general music scene goes, our music is considered strange for this region and we definitely stand out, but it’s really cool to introduce this genre of music to entirely new group of people who may not have known about it otherwise." -Barbara Blackthorne

Formed in 2018 in Philadelphia, PA, the symphonic power metal band Empress consists of classically trained singer Barbara Blackthorne, lead guitarist and songwriter (and producer & engineer and all-around mastermind) Vlad Khavin, guitarist Joseph Muir, bassist Nick Bonsanto and drummer Mark Stainthorpe. Vikram Shankar contributed keyboards and assisted the production. Industry veteran Dan “the man” Swanö (Best known as frontman for Nightingale, but he's worked as a producer, mixer, engineer, etc. for a staggering number of bands, most notably Opeth and Evergrey) mixed and mastered the album at his Unisound Studio in Sweden. 

That’s a detail I find amusing, because many notable symphonic/power metal bands including some of the absolute legends such as Nightwish (Finland), Opeth (Sweden), Epica and Within Temptation (Netherlands) all hail from Europe, and the music of Empress, which is heavily inspired by these bands and others, fits right in with this company. If I hadn’t read that Empress was founded in Philly, I would have just naturally assumed they were also a European power metal/symphonic metal outfit, and I mean this as a compliment. Maybe it's just a stereotype, but I've always envisioned music of this ilk as a distinctly European thing. Americans certainly can compose power/symphonic metal, but it just doesn't seem to feel the same, does it? Having Dan Swanö mix and master the album at his studio in Sweden feels entirely appropriate, almost like fate interceding to give FATEWEAVER its blessing, a small touch of European power metal authenticity.

The first two tracks, “Legion” and “Beyond The Sleep”, were recorded and self-released as singles in 2019, with the rest of their debut album FATEWEAVER releasing August 2022. 

FATEWEAVER is not exactly a “concept album” per se, as there is no one guiding story thread that links the disparate characters of each track, although I suppose a loose concept of fate could be seen as the connecting tissue. Is our destiny written in the stars? Can we change our fate, or will the struggle itself overwhelm us? The album’s title is no accident. FATEWEAVER is a potent name, conjuring images of might and magic, order vs. chaos, of life beating back against the currents of destiny. 

The characters who live so vibrantly within the 48 minutes of FATEWEAVER are all struggling to define themselves, their loves, their lives, their legacies, in a world of high adventure, where a chance to change one’s fortune awaits with each new dawn… and new dangers lurk behind every bend in the twisted paths that lay ahead. The nine tracks of FATEWEAVER tell a variety of stories, tales of epic fantasy, of sorcerers who wield power enough to change the course of empires, of adventurers who seek their fortunes and instead meet their destiny at the jaws of terrifying beasts. There are tales of romance, of heroism, of perseverance against overwhelming odds, of changing one’s prescribed fate and forging a new, better path ahead. 

Blackthorne’s soaring operatic vocals act as a steady guide throughout these stories, bringing a series of characters and their struggles to vivid life with her soaring Mezzo-soprano register. And the music itself masterfully builds entire worlds around these vocals, with the ever-present double-bass drumming of Stainthorpe serving as the twisted spine of this muscular quintet. Vlad Khavin’s expert guitar melodies are at turns graceful and sinister, creating heroic motifs that eternally clash against the forces of darkness. 

One of the issues I tend to have with symphonic and power metal in general is precision. “Math rock”, I’ve heard it called, and I can’t disagree, although there is an actual genre of music called math rock, which just boggles my mind, but I digress. From my perspective, too often musicians who toil in these interwoven genres can get so caught up in complex, guitar-driven melodies that the music itself, the final product, feels cold, lacking a certain spark of vitality. The music becomes too cerebral, and as such the heart is missing. I have given a lot of music in these twin genres a fair shake, and so much of it leaves no lasting impression. More often than not, I find myself really wanting to enjoy the music, but I just can’t find “a way in”, so to speak. The talent behind the music is undeniable, but the result is mechanical, technically minded noise that does nothing for me. 

Much to my shock and surprise, FATEWEAVER doesn’t have that problem. The signature complexity is on full display in each track, but it never overwhelms the stories being told within. The oftentimes explosive arrangements help bring the world and characters to life, and the warmth and enthusiasm of the musicians always shines through. The music feels authentic and heartfelt, a labor of love from a band bursting with creativity and a deep desire to tell grandiose tales of magic and monsters, and stalwart heroes defending the light against the implacable forces of darkness. Symphonic elements are woven organically into the melodies, serving as accents to the core instruments of guitar, bass and drums, bringing a desired “widescreen” feeling to the album’s bigger moments. 

The double-tracked guitar solo in album opener “Legion” is a real highlight, as are the middle-eastern influences in the melody of “Chimera” that help to evoke a sense of danger and struggle as our protagonist duels a dangerous beast for the promise of riches beyond compare. It begins with a simple melody that builds into something bigger and more complex as the story of the album’s longest track unfolds. “Immortelle” beautifully evokes the vampire’s alluring dark promise of eternal love and never-ending night in a style that directly evokes Nightwish at its best. “Monarch” embraces the pain and uncertainty that come with great change as it tells the tale of one who dares to change their fate, kindling a fire of hope in a land overcome by darkness. And “Eventide” ends the album with a beautiful and haunting ballad that illustrates a tale of romance that defies destiny, a love too powerful for the gods themselves to deny, and it’s a track that perfectly showcases Blackthorne’s staggering vocal prowess. 

There’s also a keen understanding of the tropes and themes of high fantasy in the music itself, and FATEWEAVER expertly walks the tightrope between the serious and timely themes within and the inherent absurdity of telling stories in worlds populated with dragons and wizards and dungeon-dwelling monsters. The music never takes itself too seriously, embracing the hyperbole and reveling in the freedom of its chosen setting. The music cuts loose, spinning epic tales and indulging in delicate flights of fancy with the skill of a master storyteller. From the expansive majesty of album opener “Legion” to the bittersweet, intimate romance of “Eventide”, FATEWEAVER sounds like the self-assured work of a veteran band and not the inaugural effort of a quintet of newcomers. 

There’s a quality to the core of this music that is shared by another recent favorite, Dmitri Mavra’s DUNGEON WEED project. Although the two bands couldn’t be any more different in terms of style, they are two branches extending from the same trunk, two diverging castles built upon the same awesome foundation. 

DUNGEON WEED is grimy and deliberately weird, dragging listeners into a world where there are no heroes, delving into the fetid depths of ruined castles and reeking swamps, and our protagonist is a self righteous wizard who, consumed by greed, made a terrible bargain with the forces of darkness with horrifying consequences. The music reflects themes of decay and damnation with a psychedelic twist. FATEWEAVER fully embraces both the trappings of classic symphonic metal and the tropes of heroic fantasy, creating a world where darkness is tempered with light, where hope springs eternal and love can conquer hate. This music soars to dizzying heights and gives the listener an eagle’s-eye view of lands shaped by magic and the sword, populated with downtrodden souls who dream of a brighter future, brave souls who are willing to fight to make those dreams a reality. 

DUNGEON WEED is dark fantasy in the vein of the recent animated film The Spine Of Night or perhaps some of Michael Moorcock’s more nihilistic stories. FATEWEAVER embraces heroes and romance with an exuberance that evokes the work of J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert Jordan coupled with the experience of a rousing game of Dungeons & Dragons. They’re completely different kinds of music in so many ways, but they both scratch the same fantasy itch for me, and I can see myself frequently returning to FATEWEAVER in particular, eagerly exploring the fantastic world this band from Philadelphia has created with aplomb. 

EMPRESS have revealed themselves with FATEWEAVER to be naturally gifted storytellers and a true force to be reckoned with in the world of symphonic power metal, and perhaps as time passes and the band produces more music of this caliber, mainstream critics will hold them in the same regard as Nightwish, Symphony X or Kamelot.  A marvelous debut.