After being inspired by the epic sound of ELDER, Peter Sacco and Chris Doyle formed EMPRESS. After recruiting bassist Brenden Gunn, the band was ready to create their own brew of sludge/stoner metal. "Reminiscence" is the debut EP of the band.

"The Offering" sets the scene for the album with an odd sound effect, which segues into a mid-tempo, punishingly heavy melody. The clean riffs in the harmony make for an interesting contrast. The vocal performance and drums add a surge of power to the track. The slow, simmering break is infectious, and echoes the guitar melodies from earlier, thus adding a sense of coherence. "Immer" (one of the highlights) features whimsical female vocals, and a good build-up with "marching" snares, which lead to bright, uplifting guitar melodies that conjure images of celestial beings.

There are moments of a chilled-out vibe in parts, and at other times, the band goes all-out with a heavy attack. There's also an esoteric feel to the songs, courtesy of the lyrics. "They Speak Like Trees" is a good example of this, with its languorous bass guitar opening and haunting, bendy guitar riffs. The heavy attack comes in with a great vocal performance from Peter Sacco, with 70s-style clean riffs topping off the layers of sound. "Baptizer" (another highlight) starts out with a heavier style, with gritty guitar riffs and a powerful vocal performance. The drum and rhythm guitar melodies come together to create a "wall of sound" effect.

There are a bunch of interesting ideas floating around on "Reminiscence". The tempo switches are handled well, the vocals were consistently big, and I felt that the production worked for a stoner doom release. The band has the makings of a great stoner doom band, if they build upon the groundwork they've laid with this promising EP.