Exploding out of the UK comes this hard hitting melodic rock act named Fire Red Empress who released their debut album late last year. We finally got our hands on the new tracks to see what the band produced.
Fire Red Empresse’s sound can be comparable to hard hitting rockers like Halestorm, Baroness and Red Fang with a ton of groove and riff driven melodies. Vocally they are also a standout because of singer Jennifer Diehl’s ability to hit the soft spots along with the energy charged screams and gritty vocal punches that’s not necessarily a requirement on this type of music which goes to show the level of force in which she delivers her voice. It’s beyond and above what is expected and the professionalism it results in is not to be taken lightly, it’s the beauty of all the elements involved here that make this debut album work perfectly.
Starting out with heavy groove number “Dead Nature“, Fire Red Empress showcase a powerful sound with lots of dynamics. The anthemic chorus of this track comes through crystal clear and already you can tell that the band are serious in what they aim to do. The more modernistic alternative rocker “Giants” has a little more under the hood than what’s presented immediately, the rock n roll guitar sounds coming through sporadically when needed and the vocals giving an extra punch in the teeth to add to the mix.
“Black Morphine” is full of more of that kind of stuff, adding dynamics where possible within each track and from song to song. “Half Bird, Half Beetle, Half Man” burts with energy, the vocals again going for a bigger attack while the guitars hit you like a ton of bricks but the range is shown more on other tracks such as “Under The Barren Light” and “Hail The Face” where more melodies are in place of the in your face type hard rock.
The album slides down the other side of the spectrum with lighter affairs in “Seven” and “The Little Death” where the old acoustic guitars are picked up to give some breathing space in between the heavier hitters but ultimately songs like the title track and the closer “Maldoror” are where the band truly grabs the listeners attention and rightly so. This is a rockin’ album with plenty of guts, fantastic vocals with great range and a sound all combined to give a real rock experience. Give this one a spin for sure.
TRACKLIST
Dead Nature
Giants
Half Bird, Half Beetle, Half Man
Under The Barren Light
Hail The Face
Seven
Black Morphine
The Little Death
Dear Mister
11:59
Maldoror Part 1
Maldoror Part 2
