Ghost of the Machine: Empires Must Fall

In 2022, UK-based Ghost of the Machine released their widely acclaimed debut album Scissorgames. They have followed it up with Empires Must Fall. It not only shares a similar sound but also continues the story presented. The band says: “Empires Must Fall picks up where … Scissorgames left off. This album explores the meaning of justice as the newly crowned Empress of the Light seeks to break her predecessor’s cycle of violence and coercion.� The story and lyrics have been written by lead vocalist Charlie Bramald. He is joined by the same players from Scissorhands: Graham Garbett on guitars and additional vocals, Mark Hagan on keyboards and piano, Stuart McAuley on bass guitars and pedals, Andy Milner on drums, and Scott Owens on guitars.

Neo-prog bands are often chided for being “derivative.� I see the point: Why simply recreate the sounds of the giants? But the really good neo-prog bands don’t. They show their influences without apology, while not directly lifting from them. And make no mistake about it: Ghost of the Machine is a really good neo-prog band. They belong to what might be called the second- or third-generation of neo-prog outfits, with the first generation comprised, most famously, of Marillion, IQ, Pallas, and Pendragon. You hear bits and pieces of those bands on Empires Must Fall, just as you hear moments of Genesis, Camel, and Yes, which influenced the bands that emerged in the early 1980s. Indeed, a few of the tunes on the album sound like they could have been taken from Genesis’ classic 1971-1977 period, especially the two real standout tracks for me: “Panopticon� and “After the War.� The former reminds me of Nursery Cryme, especially “The Return of the Giant Hogweed,� with swirling keyboards and Gabriel-like vocals. While the latter, with more Collins-like vocals, resembles something that might have been found on Wind & Wuthering, had Steve Hackett been let loose. Both are mini epics at 11:44 and 14:32 respectively, and there is a third, “Fall Through Time,� which clocks in at an even 12 minutes.

There is not a single clunker track or extended moment on Empires Must Fall, though there are some parts that I didn’t find particularly memorable. With more listens (and I certainly intend to give this disc more spins), I could see this album moving from my current rating of 4 stars to 4.5 and making my best of 2025 list. Good work, lads!

Track Listing
01. Keepers Of the Light (8:35)
02. The Days That Never Were (5:59)
03. Panopticon (11:44)
04. Fall Through Time (12:00)
05. The One (4:43)
06. After The War (14:32)

Added: August 25th 2025
Reviewer: Aaron Steelman
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 155
Language: english

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