One of the things that defines a Star Wars film is of course the soundtrack. Many would consider it sacrilege to even consider playing the tracks in any other way than George Lucas and John Williams would have intended, but that’s exactly what Galactic Empire have done with their debut, self-titled album. OK so maybe sacrilege isn’t the best way to describe their album, mainly because it is genuinely enjoyable.
A little under a year ago the Galactic Empire album was nothing more than a Disturbance in the Force, or more commonly known as a pipedream on Kickstarter; but as we all know, the internet works in mysterious ways and here we are listening to a purely instrumental rock album, with all the tracks being classics from the Star Wars series.
You can’t have a Star Wars anything without that iconic main theme and that’s exactly how the album starts with Main Theme, yes it’s quicker and has a guitar and drums but it can’t be mistaken for anything but the opening of Star Wars.
And that’s the theme throughout the album; we recognised almost every track be it The Forest Battle from Return Of The Jedi, or our personal favourite Cantina Band from A New Hope. This one bizarrely had a hint of Avenged Sevenfold to it, especially during the guitar solos.
Ben’s Death/Tie Fighter Attack has always had a certain intensity to it, especially given the back story to it, and with the help of an electric guitar or two Galactic Empire have managed to take it up a level, giving the track even more clout.
Star Wars is certainly in vogue again (there’ll be some that’ll say it never left!) and the timing of the album couldn’t have been better: two Star Wars films have been released recently with another couple on the way and it’s a perfect time to capitalise on the increased interest. With 11 tracks, spanning the films, there’s something for everyone. And when your lead guitarist Dark Vader (not a typo) comes up with quotes like;
“These instruments are crude but should be adequate to shred some faces as we journey across the galaxy. We have been doubling our efforts to complete our debut full-length album in time for the Emperor’s arrival. If you are not part of the Rebel Alliance or a traitor, buy our singles on iTunes and prepare to succumb to the Dark Side upon our album’s release.”
You know you’re on to someone dedicated to the cause…
Star Wars fan ought to have a listen: the Galactic Empire guys are clearly a talented bunch of musicians and their interpretations of some of the tracks are pretty catchy. Even if you’re not a fan, this is still worth a listen; you’re bound to recognise some of the tracks and we can almost guarantee that it’ll put a smile on your face.
8/10
Standout Tracks: Main Theme, Cantina Band, Ben’s Death
For Fans Of: Star Wars (Obviously!)
Written By: Omar Malick
The album Galactic Empire is out now & available from all usual outlets.
