3.0 out of 5 stars
Lost progressive rock recordings featuring Peter Banks, July 17, 2009
This review is from: Mark 3 (Audio CD)
Empire was a progressive rock band formed in the late 70's by guitarist Peter Banks (Yes, the Syn) and featuring female vocalist Sydney Foxx. The band recorded approximately three albums worth of material (I say approximately because it could have easily fit on two CDs instead of three) but never secured a record contract. The material was shelved until 1996, when One Way Records issued the available Empire recordings as Mark I, II, and III.
Mark III contains the final 6 Empire songs. The music isn't terribly groundbreaking, at least when compared to similar work by Yes, ELP and King Crimson, but it's still very solid progressive rock, and Foxx's moving and sultry voice definitely adds a certain something. Banks lays down some very impressive guitar work as well. Highlights of Mark III are the longer songs - "Destiny" and "Foundation" - that really showcase the band's technical ability. It's also worth noting that the Empire releases are all essentially demo quality. They haven't been remastered, and were never really finished back then either.
The Empire albums aren't essential progressive rock releases by any means, but serious fans of progressive rock in general and Peter Banks in particular should get some enjoyment out of them. Mark I and Mark III are often found in cutout bins, but for some reason Mark II is a lot more difficult to track down.
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