Empire Divided open their EP with an eerie, naval drumbeat that acts as the intro to ‘The Opressed’. This quickly gives way to a series of classic death metal riffs, accompanied by rib-shattering screams and punchy bass riffs that almost any metalhead can appreciate. Having said this, I can’t help but think that ‘The Opressed’ is slightly too repetitive – as good as many of the riffs were, some of them are slightly overused, and the vocal range is heavily limited. Having said this, the guitar solo contains some interesting ideas very atypical to this genre, and the exuberant brutality of the ‘breakdown’ section at the end of the song suggests potential for a stunning live show.
The next track, ‘Sailors Grave’, has more of a deathcore feel to it than the previous track, with fast, chugging guitar riffs and well-timed double-bass drumming that show off the technical abilities of the band. A few well-timed breakdowns evoke Whitechapel or early Suicide Silence, and complete with well-executed high screams, this does a lot to avoid the repetitiveness of ‘The Opressed’.
The final track of the EP is ‘The Kraken’, continuing with an obviously naval theme. Vocalist Josh Day’s deep, bassy growls are easy to interpret as he spits aggressive lyricism into the mic, with accompanying riffery that is, in my humble opinion, the best of any throughout the entire EP. Having said this, in places some of the more technical riffs sound like they could benefit from a slightly tighter delivery in the studio. The song concludes with a series of some of the heaviest and most crushing breakdowns on the whole EP, which leave a lasting impression, that, accompanied by the disconcerting sounds of an approaching storm, create an almost cathartic effect for the listener.
Empire Divided are clearly not trying to reinvent the wheel of metal, but despite this, this EP retains an air of originality and distinction amongst the death metal crowd. I can’t help but think while listening that although these songs translate well into a recording environment, each and every one feels like more of a punchy, energetic crowd-pleaser than a carefully-crafted studio opus. That’s definitely not a bad thing, in this case…