Unsurprisingly, there are many bands called EMPIRE (the metal archives counts 10), so to be clear, the one we will be talking about today is a German/American melodic metal band comprised of scene veterans whose past work you've likely heard but whose names you probably haven't. EMPIRE is reissuing their their 2001 debut album, "Hypnotica", a light hearted expedition into catchy songcraft that sits somewhere between The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and 1980s arena rock, but leans much closer to the later.

However, the impressive history of the member's of EMPIRE is unsurprising when listening to "Hypnotica", as the album drips with a sort of sleek, immaculate perfection that one would expect from musicians who've spent years as hired guns to the stars. Perhaps most notably EMPIRE features bassist Neil Murray, whose resumè includes some Tony Martin-era BLACK SABBATH recordings, as well as WHITESNAKE, BOW WOW, FASTWAY, and time spent as a sideman to Brian May, Michael Schenker, Gary Moore and Tony Martin's solo career.

"Hypnotica" is a carefully crafted album full of ridiculously catchy hooks, crisp instrument tones and soaring, sing along choruses. This is perhaps best exemplified by the album's fourth and clear standout track "You're All That I'm Looking For". "You're All That I'm Looking For" is an infectious and uplifting arena rock anthem that, had it been released in 1986 instead of 2001 would have undoubtedly been a major hit. But, like all of "Hypnotica", "You're All That I'm Looking For" is stylistically dated, even at the time of its release, favoring the melodramaticism, artificially reverberated production and songcraft definitive of music that was commerical two decades before its release. In addition to "You're All That I'm Looking For", this is also particularly evident on the tracks "I Will Always Be There" and "Bad Bad Boy".

When "Hypnotica" strays from AOR influences by a bygone era, and shows its more metallic colors, the album has a bit more staying power. The album's tenth track, "Shelter" is its heaviest and sees EMPIRE embracing their metal side more clearly than any other track on "Hypnotica". "Shelter" features a fat, swaggering riff a stomping, blues derived rhythm and courser vocals than can be found anywhere else on "Hypnotica", where the Lance King tends to sound more like an angelic piccolo than the whiskey guzzling hard rock singer that his voice invokes on "Shelter". While "Shelter" sees "Hypnotica" at its heaviest and least AOR, the tracks "Here I Am", "Back To Me" and "Fool In Love" strike an effective balance between hard rock and commerical melodicism. All three tracks feature headbanging riffs, a solid drive and catchy songcraft.

"Hypnotica" is a well written and executed album helmed by a seasoned professional and there is nothing outwardly objectionable to anything on it. That being said, there is something about "Hypnotica" that feels like it is trapped in an era that it did not even come from. Like an anachronistic relic, "Hypnotica" retreads musical territory that world was already rather sick of by the time grunge happened and, when listening to the entire album, one cannot help but get rather fatigued listening to an album that, twenty years late, recreates a sound that nowadays is mostly regulated to commercials for cars and beers.

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