Several weeks ago I was wandering through my local Best Buy, looking through their available CDs (ancient artifacts that may be best understood as physical, round mp3s), when I stumbled across a familiar name. The album cover for Eye Empire's full length release, Impact, was staring me right in the face. If you read my interview with Mike Martin, you may recall that he mentioned them. I had only heard one song of theirs at that moment, which Mike had posted on his Facebook page some time before, and was therefore quite surprised to find them serendipitously on a trip around town. Normally, I have to order albums I'd like online, so to stumble upon them like this was quite unusual! Fashioned in a beautiful tri-fold digipack, and only $8.99 for two CDs full of music, I couldn't help but grab the last copy off the shelves. Eye Empire was formed in 2007 by bassist Corey Lowery (of Stuck Mojo, Stereomud, and Dark New Day) and guitarist B.C. Kochmit, who began meeting up and writing songs once a month. In 2009, vocalist Donald Carpenter was added to the line-up, followed by drummer Ryan Bennett. Over the course of late 2010 and throughout 2011, the group proceeded to release a series of EPs entitled Moment Of Impact Vol. 1-2 (all sold exclusively through mail order in limited copies of 1000 -- now out of print) that would later become the foundation of their first length album of the same name (self-released and also out of print), released Sept. 11th, 2011. This debut album was re-released by Bulldog Productions and Vertusent Music Group in June of 2012 as a double-CD, featuring unreleased songs, as well as acoustic and live versions. For a band that many are not aware of, they have quite a list of accolades to their name. Featured on the album are three members of Sevendust (Clint Lowery, contributing melodies and lyrics on two songs; Morgan Rose, who drums on a number of tracks; and vocalist Lajon Witherspoon, who guests on "Victim") and it's co-produced by Mike Froedge (formerly of Black Label Society and doubleDrive), which should be enough to garner interest in its own right. However, the group have also toured, not only with Sevendust, but also with household named such as Seether, Five Finger Death Punch, Evanescence, Shinedown, and KoRn! But now, onto the music... In comparison to many other reviews I have written, which have either consisted of bands I've been listening to for years or ones that I have only recently discovered and given a handful of plays, I have been absorbed into Impact for nearly a solid month. It is rare that a group new to me captures my attention so completely that I hardly listen to anything else for such an extended period of time. Full of heavy, grooving riffs, inescapable melodies, and emotion-filled lyrics, Eye Empire possess all the accessibility of a catchy radio rock band without simplifying themselves. I was extremely impressed with Carpenter's voice, who not only has magnificent melodic sensibility, but can throw in deep growls at just the right time. Lowery, if you're familiar with his previous bands, doesn't disappoint on backing vocals -- meshing with Carpenter perfectly-- and keeps the bass playing thick and meaty. Kochmit's guitar playing was spot on throughout, and his ability to find the border between speedy runs and melody creation made his solos add to, rather than detract from, the songs. Bennett and Rose shared drum duties, but their contributions were top notch and seamless, and I'm able to rock out to the songs without stopping in between to question a revolving door of musicians. Full of heavy, grooving riffs, inescapable melodies, and |
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