Empires (specifically the Minneapolis-based iteration) represents the mid-2000s underground convergence of sludge metal and instrumental post-rock. Their sound is characterized by a 'tectonic' approach to songwriting, utilizing the slow tempos of doom metal alongside the crescendos typical of the post-rock genre.
Emerging from the same Minneapolis scene that birthed black metal project Manetheren, the band shares members and a certain bleak, cold aesthetic with that collective. Their 2007 release, Through Trial and Tribulation Comes Triumph, is a hallmark of the era's DIY post-metal output, favoring raw production and organic instrumentation over studio polish. Critically, they are viewed as a bridge between the crushing weight of Neurosis and the more melodic explorations of bands like Isis or Pelican. While the name 'Empires' is shared by several disparate acts, this specific unit is defined by its commitment to instrumental storytelling through sheer volume and atmospheric density.
Shares monolithic drum patterns, post-metal, slow_build, submerged bass frequencies (detail)
Shares post-metal, submerged bass frequencies, sludge metal, doom metal (signature)
Shares post-metal, slow_build, sludge metal, doom metal (signature)
Shares post-metal, sludge metal, doom metal, post-rock (signature)
Shares post-metal, slow_build, sludge metal, doom metal (signature)
Shares post-metal, sludge metal, doom metal, post-rock (signature)
Shares post-metal, sludge metal, doom metal, post-rock (signature)
Shares monolithic drum patterns, post-metal, sludge metal, doom metal (detail)
Shares slow_build, post-metal, submerged bass frequencies, sludge metal (signature)
Shares slow_build, post-metal, sludge metal, doom metal (signature)
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