Eye Empire’s Impact Is Damn Good Music

By Seth M

From time to time I receive music from PR folks, bands, friends, etc.  ~ and I typically add it to the stack in hopes of getting to it someday. When I have a spare few minutes here and there I try to give everything I receive a quick listen ~ and since I believe in being completely honest, I have to say that much of the stack is usually crap ~ there’s  no nice way to say it, there are so many bands out there and not enough talent to go around…So it’s a treat to find that elusive musical gem, that rare needle in the haystack of the aforementioned crap.

So just today I was sitting at my desk when something shiny caught my ears (that’s right, my review, my mixed metaphor). That shine came from a band called Eye Empire. If you’ve heard this band and are into this genre of music then there is no need to read any further ‘cause you are already way ahead of the curve. But for the uninitiated…

I realized pretty quickly that I’d heard this band before ~ not sure if I just lost track of them, if they disappeared for a bit, or if maybe my ears at the time were tuned to something else. Regardless, if you enjoy bands like Alterbridge, Soundgarden, and Shinedown, but can take it to an even heavier level like Godsmack, Sevendust and Killswitch Engage, then you are going to love Eye Empire.

Photo courtesy facebook.com/eyeempire

Impact is the debut, 24 track double disc from this hard rocking, melodic quartet featuring Donald Carpenter (formerly of Submersed) on vocals,  B.C. Kochmit on guitars/backing vocals, Corey Lowery on bass/backing vocals, and Ryan Bennett on drums. These 2 CDs contain everything from complex melodies, ballads, and hard rock to radio-friendly rock with catchy choruses and lyrics to some serious heavy metal drums and guitars.

The selection of songs will not disappoint ~ nor will Carpenter’s vocals, which at times are very reminiscent of Chris Cornell. As a matter of fact, on a couple of songs like the harmonic ballad “Don’t Lie to Me,” I actually thought Cornell was singing. Some of the other highlights include both discs’ openers:  “I Pray” from Disc 1 is a good example of the musical stylings of Eye Empire, and “Bull in a China Shop” from Disc 2 is Rage Against the Machine meets Sevendust. “Bull “ is also one of the three live songs featured on the second disc, giving you an idea of just how great this band is to see perform live. With ”Feels Like I’m Falling,” we are treated to a version on each disc: the hard-hitting, radio-ready rock tune and the acoustic version, both of which are equally ear pleasing. I also enjoyed “Hopeless,” one of the more laid back songs, and “Self Destructive” was probably one of my favorites.

It’s hard, but I’m trying not to be too detailed or give away too much because I think Impact speaks for itself and I want you to hear it. If you enjoy great, hard rocking music in the genre of some of the bands I mentioned earlier, then head to Eye Empire’s website and get some music that’s a must-have for your stack.  And don’t miss Eye Empire on tour ~ I know I won’t!

Tour Dates:

www.eyeempire.com

www.facebook.com/eyeempire

https://twitter.com/eyeempire