To label a band's musical work as 'Groove Metal' doesn't mean a thing at all. It demands deeper explanations, because the mix between musical influences is so great that Thrash Metal and Death Metal bands have influences from Groove Metal. So it demands a deeper description and analysis, and the 4-songs EP "Unite and Die" of the UK based quintet EMPIRE WARNING can be a good experience for understand what the words above mean.

Their work is a more aggressive and Thrash Metal orientated form of Groove Metal, something that could seem like a more aggressive outfit for PANTERA's "Cowboys from Hell" age, but having their own personality. It's massively heavy and modernly sharp, but with grooved melodies, and a great energy flows from each song, something that impact in the ears. Yes, these words mean that their work is very good. The sound production was done by Ben Stratford and Paul Visser (and this last guy mixed and mastered the songs as well), and they conceived something that is massive, clean and aggressive, boosting the musical power of the EP's songs, and the choice of the tunes for the musical instruments are really excellent.

"Heil to the Rat King" is filled with abrasive aggressiveness and very good Groove/Thrash Metal elements (and what excellent guitars, with some 'wah-wah' moments), but with a melodic chorus. "Stuck" is greasy and catchy, with a very evident aggressive insight (and very good screamed tunes on the vocals), and "Take From Me", even being slower than the previous songs (but what good work on bass guitar and drums). Closing the EP, "Verge of Insanity" comes to increase both aggressiveness and Groove Metal elements, but always keeping the good taste on the melodies.

EMPIRE WARNING seems to just begin a very good career on music and it's a promising name, so let's hope that "Unite and Die" can be seen as a free sample of a smashing bones album in a near future.