Pledge Music has been around a few years now and has it’s detractors who don’t like the idea of paying for something before it has even been started. We see their point but on the other hand we see it as a wonderful thing which has levelled the playing field so to speak between the labels and the musicians. Now bands can work alongside their fan base with out being pulled back by a label who may not know how to market their sound. The band can give their true artistic vision straight to the fans and that can only be a good thing. White Empress went down the Pledge Music route for this their debut album Rise Of The Empress. The new band from longtime Cradle Of Filth guitarist Paul Allender.
If you are expecting Cradle Of Filth mark two then you are in for a shock. Yes there are some elements here which do hark back to them but this is something much more melodic. Opening with the title track which is a largely instrumental piece, it’s a haunting start, it is a perfect set up for what is to come as it picks up speed and heaviness before ‘Congregation’ stomps into action. Nice chunky riffs and strong rhythm section are joined by fitting orchestral music. It is when they are joined by the female vocals Mary Zimmer that it really shifts up a gear. Bringing some much needed melody into the mix and showing what a versatile vocalist she is.
Zimmer really is the secret weapon behind this record. Showing an excellent vocal range that can shift from angelic to demonic in a single breath, it’s actually ridiculous when you realise that it’s one vocalist. ‘A Prisoner Unleashed’ perfectly shows the schizophrenia the band encompasses to startling effect. ‘Darkness Encroaching’ opens with a sneaky mix of electronica and choral voices before heading into heavy ground. There are so many hidden sounds and tricks in this record that you really have to keep your ears open at all times to hear what is happening.
Even if you’ve never been a fan of Cradle Of Filth it doesn’t matter. Tracks like ‘Sven’s Tower’, ‘Obsession With The Empress’ and our personal favourite ‘The Ecstatic And The Sorrow’ deliver on every level and help to make this debut a very enjoyable listen.
Would Rise Of The Empress sound the same if a label had been behind it? You have to ask would this album of even been released if it wasn’t for Pledge Music? I can’t answer that but it shows the power of something like Pledge. If it helps to create things like White Empress have created here and lets people off their artistic leashes they have been on for far too long, then that can only be a good thing.
