From SCOPE online magazine (http://www.scopemag.com)
COURSE OF EMPIRE
Telepathic Last Words
TVT
Readers often ask why more industrial-metal releases aren’t
profiled in these pages, to which I’m compelled to reply that
Skinny Puppy is dead, and Ministry, Consolidated, Prong and
Course of Empire take too long between albums. The difference
between certifiable mischief-makers like Course Of Empire and
hacks like Gravity Kills is that pronounced; this Dallas, Texas
quintet truly belongs in that higher echelon. Telepathic Last
Words, COE’s first release in four years, is hard enough to cut
diamonds, without sacrificing melody or literacy for bombast.
"New Maps," "Automatic Writing #17" and "The Information" slam
into jaded ears with a shock usually reserved for missile
impacts; "Houdini’s Blind" and "Blue Moon" (yes, the Rodgers
and Hart classic) sneak up on the listener with charming stealth,
like a virus communicated by kissing. Producer John Fryer allows
the band’s dual-drummer assault to roll unimpeded, allows
sexy/creepy vocalist Vaughan Stevenson to stretch out and
encourages guitarist Mike Graff to contribute his smartest
playing to date. The end result is aggressive, smart and worthy
of the company in which the band have inadvertently placed
themselves.
(Geoff Carter)
(
geocities.com/sunsetstrip/club/Club) (
geocities.com/sunsetstrip/club) (
geocities.com/sunsetstrip)