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Matt has a studio diary on the band's official site where he gave a track by track preview of the upcoming new album. In case anyone is interested, here it is:
Eyes of Defiance (5:03)
The album starts off with a bang here, with a real heavy thrasher in drop C tuning. Fans of "Northern Sky" are sure to love this one. There bridge has a cool ethnic vibe thanks to a riff based on the Japanese "Hirajoshi" scale, and the breakdown in the pre-chorus is made for head-banging. The lyrics are about someone being reincarnated to avenge the murder of their past life.
No Sign of Life (5:01)
This one's a real charging, powerful track, which strikes a nice balance between thrash riffs and soaring powermetal melodies. Lyrically, I was inspired by the conflict between Lebanon and Israel, and they are about the senselessness of war, particularly over religion.
Humanity Dethroned (5:08)
The title track is one of the heaviest songs I've written for Dark Empire. Extremely grooving, brutal riffage with death and melodic vocals trading off in the verses. The guitar solo in this one is crazy! Lyrics are about how organized religion often stagnates the progress of society, both scientifically, and socially.
The Forgotten Sin (8:31)
The longest and most progressive song for Dark Empire. A soft, melancholic intro gives way to a riff that smacks you in the face like a sledgehammer (before calming down again...but not for long). The middle portion of this song is an extended instrumental section that lets all the musicians show their stuff (much like The Final Vision did on Distant Tides). Lots of string and choir synth in this one as well. This talks of the "8th deadly sin."
Faded Dreams (5:29)
This one gives a nice contrast to the darkness of The Forgotten Sin. Another one in drop C, this is a mid-tempo rocker that reminds me of old school 70s prog rock at times. The lyrics are about never giving up on one's ambitions. Also one of only two tracks that do not have any death or harsh vocals (the other being "Closure").
Salvation Denied (5:12)
The fastest track we've done yet. This is a true melodic thrash ass kicker, with a good blend of aggression and melody, and includes some thrash/screaming vocals mixed in with the melodic and death vocals. Lyrics are about betrayal, and how backstabbers will surely get what's coming to them in the end...
The Apparition Sequence (total time: 19:45)
The album closes with a "suite" of sorts in the form of 4 songs that all flow into each other that share the theme of supernatural encounters. All the songs feature drop C tuning.
I. Prelude (3:14)
An instrumental intro that includes various themes from the rest of the songs (although there is a focus on Haunted). Some cool odd time riffing and strong melodies that build into a great climax. Flows directly into...
II. Haunted (5:32)
Opens with a brutal thrash riff in 5/4 time. This one plows ahead like a freight train. There's some cool juxtaposition between very intense death vocal driven sections and soaring powermetal melodies. The lyrics are about a man who falls in love with the spirit of a woman. A majestic finish that fades to a pulse synth that segues with...
III. Possessed (We Are One) (5:14)
Possibly the heaviest Dark Empire song. Starts off mid-tempo, then goes into overdrive with lots of thrash/death riffs, and some tradeoffs between melodic and screamed/growled vocals. Features a harmonized guitar lead section instead of a more typical "solo spot." If you can't guess, this one is about demonic possession.
IV. Closure (5:45)
The Apparition Sequence, and the album, end with this dark melodic ballad about losing a loved one and meeting them again on the other side. Starts with acoustic guitars then builds into a heavy, symphonic climax.
The Knife
The bonus track we have is a cover of this old Peter Gabriel-era Genesis classic, updated and metalized.
Sounds like this will be great. I cannot wait to hear it.
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