Empire

Q - Ranked #8 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006." Uncut - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] rock group with enough metronomic menace to attract indie diehards and disenfranchised clubbers....Like a sonic lightning rod, EMPIRE crackles with an electrifying tangle of influences..." Entertainment Weekly - "[T]here is a certain genius to how cannily they combine elements of the past..." -- Grade: B Spin - 3 stars out of 5 -- "EMPIRE constantly changes its focus, from the synth-heavy theatrics of the title track through punk-infused vocalizing, jack-hammer percussion, and mellow, acoustic balladry." Alternative Press - "[L]ike a primer in recent rock history....[With] vaguely spiritual Stone Roses guitar freakouts throughout..." CMJ - "This is the sound of swaggering suaves raised more on Chemical Brothers than Glimmer Twins." Mojo - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Nailing Britpop harmonies to club beats is where they score most highly....EMPIRE is every bit as powerful as its title suggests." The Fly (07/06, p.9) - "...Kasabian build on the big choruses and beatsy bass funk of their debut." OMM (08/06, p.55) - 4 (out of 5) - "...a massive record... stirring, ecstatic and - just sometimes - brilliantly OTT stuff." Music Week (19/08/06, p.18) - "...their confidence is well deserved... this is an album of big sounds with a goodtime feel that will find a wide audience." Uncut - 4 (out of 5) - "Electrifying...impassioned...EMPIRE is well named" Q - 4 (out of 5) - "Epic" NME - 9 (out of 10) - "Absolutely amazing"

The follow-up to their self-titled 2004 debut, 'Empire' marks the triumphant return of the Leicester based indie-electronica fusionists. Produced by Jim Abbiss (Editors, Arctic Monkeys) at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth 'Empire' delivers a more mature, expansive sound, coupled with Kasabian's trademark confident swaggering style. Includes the single 'Empire'.|

2004年の〈サマソニ〉ではアルバム・デビュー前にも関わらず、入場規制になるほどの観客を集めたという伝説を持つ彼ら。エラく型破りなファースト・アルバムに続く2年ぶりの新作は、不機嫌な破壊的暗黒ビートで攻めるエレクトロ・ノイズと生音の融合はそのままに、アコギやストリングス、果てはトランペットで味付けしたドラマティックな展開を披露。〈さらに我が道を開拓した!〉と高笑いする彼らの姿が目に浮かぶ出来です!
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