“Empire 21″ a strong debut album from Swedish hard rock/metal act Empire 21 that feat. members from Narnia, Darkwater, Harmony, Rob Rock and more. The album was mixed by Tobias Lindell [Europe, Mustasch, Hardcore Superstar] and mastered by Thomas “Plec” Johansson [Scar Symmetry, Watain, Divinefire].
The debut album will be released on November 28th in Europe and December 2nd in North America through the bands own label Empire 21 Records.
Finally, the long awaited, self-titled debut album from new Swedish hard rock/metal act Empire 21 is about to be released. For fans of melodic heavy rock and for those of you who can’t wait to consume a heavy dose of massive riffing by world-class musicians – this album IS a must.
The members are all experienced from international bands including Narnia, Darkwater, Rob Rock, Harmony and many more. The band was originally founded by drummer Tobias Enbert and singer Germán Pascual who were both part of the 2009 touring lineup of CJ Grimmark’s band Narnia. When CJ decided to put Narnia to rest, the idea of Empire 21 was born. They eventually talked CJ into the project and recruited Andreas Ålöv and John Svensson for the bass/keyboards positions. During the recording of the debut album, Empire 21 parted ways with Germán Pascual who was then replaced by singer Ricard Hulteke.
Ricard, being one of the best kept secrets in rock and the last piece finalizing the Empire 21 puzzle, is likely to put a big smile on the faces of metal/rock fans around the world. His soulful and intense vocal performance on this album is certainly one of the best in the history of metal.
The tracks on the Empire 21 album were all carefully written without any time pressure, resulting in no “fillers” whatsoever. It was of high importance to develop an organic yet powerful sound, which led Empire 21 to hire mixing engineer Tobias Lindell (Europe, Mustasch, etc.) and mastering engineer Thomas ”Plec” Johansson (Scar Symmetry, Ammotrack, etc.) to put their final touches on this production. The album was produced by the bands’ guitarist and main songwriter CJ Grimmark. This album has great potential to reach a very wide audience thanks to its strong material and high musical energy. Even those who are not specifically into metal may still enjoy this album as it’s easy to get into, even at the first bite. Keep your eyes and ears open…and dig into Empire 21.
Tracklist:
01. When You’re Falling
02. I Can’t
03. All Is Lost
04. Traveler
05. Empire 21
06. 100 Nights
07. Heard It All
08. This Is My Story
09. Calling
10. Would You
11. No Matter The Winds Of Change
The album can be pre-ordered at the bands website: www.empire21.se
Empire 21 line-up
CJ Grimmark [Rob Rock, Narnia] – Guitars
Ricard Hulteke – Vocals
Tobias Enbert [Darkwater, Harmony] – Drums
Andreas Ålöv – Bass
John Svensson [Harmony] – Keyboards
Video below Album Teaser