Live Review

Empress – The Old Blue Last, London

• 4th Dec 2012

Just over a month ago, we were lucky enough to catch Empress on the first date of their headline tour in the Barfly, Camden. Now, at the end of this tour – and their last show of the year – it is easy to see how much of a difference a month can make.

Empress took to the stage here in the Old Blue Last with more confidence and finesse than they did in the Barfly. Sure, they had every right be nervous, being their first headline show, and anyone who read our review of that will know that the night was an unwavering success. Now, the month of tour dates in between has only helped Empress take that step closer to the band that they will one day become.

These guys are the next big thing in British metal, they are incredibly talented. Being able to produce songs such as On My Return and Nostalgia so early in a musical career is a feat in itself, not to mention the raw prog-rock feeling you get when listening to current single Perplexed Again being played live.

On stage, frontman Ollie Loring shows how capable is at holding the stage, and the audience’s attention as any frontman needs to do. Though he is not alone, as brother Alex Loring and guitarist Tom Meadon do more than required at sither side of the stage, while Edd Unwin very near demolished his drum kit through sheer atrocity. If you need proof of this, or this bands talent as a whole, just check out their set closer Left In Awe.

Its tough to say something which we didnt say in the last review we wrote of these 4 guys. The main difference is how the guys have grown closer as a unit rather than a band, and that their live performance is only more captivating. In a brief chat with the boys after, we caught wind that they will be recording their debut full length in the new year, which is also when they’ll be back on the road. So its settled – 2013 is going to belong to Empress. Make no mistake. Bigger venues than the Old Blue Last await.

Venue: The Old Blue Last, London
Support Band: Guests