Still Life Moving Fast is the debut from British metal act Empress AD, which is to be released on an intriguing partnership between The End Records/ADA and Roadrunner Records. Produced by Andrew Schneider (Cave In, Pelican, Old Man Gloom), Still Life Moving Fast was basically recorded live as quickly as possible, and there is a definite spontaneous feel to some of these songs despite the rich layers on display. Though they call themselves a progressive metal band, and list influences such as Pink Floyd and King Crimson, at times they sound more like an atmospheric hardcore act, or even post rock, than straight up prog-rock. Bits of Floyd or even Porcupine Tree do pop up on the dramatic "Delve Into the Retrospect", but only briefly before raging hardcore bellows and behemoth guitar & bass riffs bludgeon your senses. "Invisible Conductor" is like a head-on collision between early Between the Buried and Me & Mastodon, while the upbeat, energetic "Deeper in Disguise" mixes melodic vocals with violent screams over tranquil passages as well as more bombastic sequences. The more experimental side of the band, as well as their pop leanings, come out on the melodic "From Where I Cannot Reach", and the dreamy opening strains of "Consumed" eventually give way to angry bellows and massive riffs, as the band ebbs and flows through 7 minutes of atmospheric prog and sludgy, complex hardcore.
Empress AD certainly has a lot going for them, and I can see plenty of potential here on Still Life Moving Fast to catch on with a semi-wide audience. At times there is almost too many styles combating for supremacy, but they have a sort of unique sound that will only solidify over time, so this is without question a band to keep your eye on.
Track Listing
1) Still Life Moving Fast
2) Invisible Conductor
3) Delve Into the Retrospect
4) Deeper in Disguise
5) From Where I Cannot Reach
6) On My Return
7) Blurred Perception
8) Haunted By Time
9) Did We See
10) Consumed
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