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Rating: THE REVIEW
English. Unpleasant. Arrogant. Overconfident.
Those tired of boastful attitudes from bands coming from the misty island across the Channel will probably sneer at a name like Kasabian, four cheerful lads who found significant success with their debut album, enough to end up in heavy rotation even in the Bel Paese with the badass "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)", (even!) the soundtrack of a well-known TV commercial.
Then the problems: Karloff's departure, a good guitarist and co-composer, along with critics and the public ready to crush them with the arrival of the second, fateful, album. The risks of the second album are well known ("Hey, do you like the Darkness?" - "Darkness... who?"), yet the kids are brazen and name it "Empire", choosing the title track as the lead single (threatening and "robotic" intro, Meighan's voice dangerously close to Liam Gallagher-esque vocal stylings and a military-march-style chorus, accompanied by a video set in the Napoleonic wars), everything except a radio-friendly single. And the rest? Catching the ear are "Shoot The Runner", rather sly, to possibly counterbalance a flop of the first single, and "Stuntman", a surprising foray into danceable territories.
Then "Me Plus One" and "Sun Rise Night Flies" flow by like fresh water (the first more acoustic, the second more aggressive), along with much more surprising tracks like the same "Stuntman", "British Legion" (a track that echoes the sounds proposed by more recent Paul McCartney work) and the closing "The Doberman", with an ordinary intro but a finale that even delves into tex-mex. A special mention goes to "Apnoea", yes it's dance, but this time sort of a revival of the old "Setting Sun" by the Chemical Brothers feat. Noel Gallagher: however, Tom has more vocal flexibility and delivers a better interpretation of the piece, which ends up being one of the best of the work.
If they wanted to surprise, they (mostly) succeeded; if they were aiming for a masterpiece, no such luck. The fact remains that, in terms of originality, the very flat Albion music scene owes something to these four guys.
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Summary by Bot
Kasabian's second album, Empire, faced high expectations following their debut success and the departure of a key member. The album takes bold risks, offering a mix of theatrical and danceable tracks. While some songs like 'Shoot The Runner' and 'Apnoea' stand out, the album ultimately falls short of a masterpiece. Nonetheless, Kasabian adds notable originality to the British music scene.
Kasabian
Kasabian are an English rock band from Leicester, known for blending rock with electronic and psychedelic elements. Sergio Pizzorno has been their main songwriter, and after Tom Meighan’s departure the band continued with Pizzorno as frontman.26 Reviews
Other reviews
By principles
Empire presents itself as an album quite varied, lasts 39 minutes, and gives off a lot of energy while being really well packaged.
Short, direct and strong songs, really strong! An album that might become a real masterpiece over the years.
By Sexbeatles
Kasabian have made musical non-conformity their creed.
Each track exudes passion and energy.
By Torre Ste
The record begins immediately with the title track and it becomes clear that the band has taken another musical direction.
With this work, Kasabian position themselves as one of the most important English bands today.
