Empathica – The Fire Symphony
Album Review By Rainer Kerber
The next Italian Symphonic Metal Band introduces itself. The reservoir of this country seems to be inexhaustible. Empathica was founded in 2012 by Francesco Gambarini and Giacomo Savina. In the early years they were influenced by bands like Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and Emperor. One year later, the EP “Orchestral Nightmares” was published, on which one can clearly hear these influences. Another four years and several lineup changes later, singer Alessia De Benedictis joined the band. This paved the way for Symphonic Metal. It took another two years for the debut album to be completed. This can be heard since mid-July on the relevant music platforms.
After the inevitable intro “Invocation” with a large orchestra and great choirs, “Fallen Master Pleasure” continues with piano and string sounds. But luckily only for a short time. The Italians can significantly heavier. So, the riffs bang and the guitars screech. There is also the vocal interplay between soprano Alessia De Benedictis and bassist Filippo Tezza. In part, of course, after the “Beauty and the Beast” concept. But Filippo also has an impressive clear voice. As influences on the album are next to Nightwish and Epica also called Childen of Boddom and Dark Tranquility. You can hear that from the heavyness of the rhythm section. So massively the double bass is used (“Prophecy”). The epic orchestration and the choruses can be heard again and again, but without patch over the metal sound. Partly the guitars also sound unrhythmic. So that the melodies are not always lovely and disarming. It is worked with many sound effects. There is a more than one-minute symphonic introduction to “What We Have To Die For” or pattering raindrops at the beginning of “Silius Messor Animarum”. But again, and again the Italians find back to their real concerns, the heavy metal. Finally, there is the 10½-minute opus “The Fire Symphony”. Once again, Empathica perform everything that symphonic metal has to offer, a varied melody line, variable vocals, both by Alessia and by Filippo. And of course, the hard riffs are missing here. And the constant melody and rhythm changes make for a very intense Progressive Rock edge.
“The Fire Symphony” is a typical symphonic metal, and again not. Typical, because all the trademarks of this genre are heard, such as orchestration and epic choirs. Atypical because they play harder than many other bands. Most likely you can compare them with Epica, although they play a little harder. The compositions are top-class and varied. The symphonic bombast is omnipresent but not dominant. Guitar, bass and drums get enough space to provide the really heavy sounds. Singer Alessia De Benedictis is one of the best I’ve ever heard. And she is vocally supported by her bandmate on bass Filippo Tezza.
Empathica – Fallen Master Pleasure: https://youtu.be/NASChwGF7yE
Lineup:
Alessia De Benedictis – Vocals
Francesco Gambarini – Guitars
Filippo Tezza – Bass, Vocals
Giacomo Savina – Piano, Keyboards
Francesco Falsiroli – Drums
Label: Self release
Out: July 15th 2019
Playing time: 50:17
Track list:
- Invocation
- Fallen Master Pleasure
- Prophecy
- Religio
- What We Have To Die For
- Silius Messor Animarum
- Death Came Twice
- Graceless Times
- The Fire Symphony
Rating : 8.5/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
