Track by Tracks: Empiric - The Seven Laws (2024)

1. There's More Power:

The album opens with a very hard rocking riff accompanied by some bells, like a wake-up call. It is a very direct and guitar-driven song, with a relatively fast rhythm, perfect to introduce the album and its subject matter. The lyrics talk about the power and potential we have inside us that we need to unleash. The solo includes a very melodic tapping and the chorus has some grandiloquent voices, which feed the feeling of power that the song conveys.

2. With Your Desires:

After the "slap in the face" of the opening track, we slow down the rhythm to introduce a beat where the bass and drums carry the pulse. Soon after, clean guitars join in, accompanying the verses with a rhythm between reggae and funk, and then opening the choruses with wide voices and distorted guitars, continuing with the mid-tempo. The song transforms towards the middle. A brief interlude, where wind instruments are introduced, gives way to a frenetic solo, with the rhythm doubled and fast final choruses, with overlapping vocals that raise the energy again until reaching the climax of the song and then suddenly drop at the end to return to the initial rhythm. It is perhaps the most atypical song on the album and a good counterpoint to the opening track that makes it clear that you don't know what the album might have in store and encourages you to keep listening to find out.

3. Don't Stop It:

This song talks about not stopping the flow of everything in life, so its rhythm is just like that: fluid, fast, and moving. It has some punk reminiscences at times, some very powerful vocal melodies, and a catchy chorus. Towards the end, it also incorporates some very melodic brass arrangements that give it a ska vibe. All these elements make it a very varied song but without losing power and a perfect guiding thread for the harder songs that follow.

4. Karma:

This song is a little darker than the previous ones and also incorporates varied elements. At the beginning of the song, there are some synthesizers, which give a part-gothic, part-industrial feel that accompany the main riff, based on a pounding double-time rhythm that unfolds in the verses, which are very melodic, and returns for the chorus, in which the title is repeated with some grunt vocals, courtesy of vocalist Eddie Lejhagen from the Swedish band Gray Scale Season. In the middle section, there is a funky intermezzo that leads into a beautiful solo, recorded by Sascha Paeth (Avantasia, Heaven's Gate, Masters Of Ceremony). It's a short but intense track, full of variety, and one of the most popular on the album.

5. Step Into the Unknown:

A mid-tempo track, with a heavy riff, a very melodic and catchy chorus, and a dark and melancholic atmosphere. It talks about daring, going into the unknown, without fear or ties, and letting yourself be surprised. And that's just what Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Metalium) does with an explosive solo that elevates the song and adds even more intensity, if possible. It's hard to describe it, the best thing to do is to listen to it. Curiously, it is the most-played song of the album on digital platforms.

6. Mission:

It is perhaps the best crafted track on the album, both lyrically, which encompasses the overall concept of the album, and musically. It is a very hard-rock song, with a fast pace and a steady pulse. The first verse is accompanied by clean guitars and a slight touch of synthesizer, and then picks up steam and rises in intensity until it reaches a memorable and catchy chorus. It features a very elegant guitar solo, played by Grammy Award-winning Mexican guitarist and producer Tonio Ruiz (Coda, Qbo). The final part is very epic and grandiloquent and puts the finishing touch to what is probably the best song on the album.

7. Don't Forget:

A very powerful song, with a bluesy riff and a lot of strength. Its cadence reminds me a bit of stoner rock and a bit of NWOBHM. In any case, it's a perfect song to listen to on the road, which invites you to move and accelerate at full throttle. It also features a solo by the legendary guitarist Doug Scarratt, from the British band Saxon, which fits perfectly with the song and reinforces its hard-hitting sound.

8. Live in the Moment:

The album closes with another very powerful hard-rock/heavy track, where the drums stand out, with very technical parts and explosive fills. Strong verses and catchy, epic choruses serve to leave the message of living in the moment and enjoying the now. Something to reflect on and think about whether to press play again and give the album another spin. It's the most sensible thing to do.