BUILDING AN EMPIRE

Steven Wilson's praising of the debut from Nicholas Chapel as "dynamic" was an understatement. This album is so complex in emotions, diversity, and textures that you may not fully comprehend the "Empire" of rich and raw atmospheres Mr. Chapel has built at first listen. There are just 9 tracks (including the amazing bonus track "Earth") but 2 of them clock in at about 9 minutes, and the epic "Sand" at over 16 minutes. The epics and the shorter songs manage to come by without seeming forced or pretentious at all. Nicholas's claim to "know nothing about drums" is almost a lie. The entire album is backed by an incredible percussive rhythm, and the other instruments beautifully support the vocals. Speaking of which, Chapel is also an incredible singer: his voice is filled with emotion that perfectly portrays the lyrics, sounds great in a harmony, and has a surprising amount of range (he pulls a high note or two, and even a loooonnggg scream in the amazing climax of "Sand" So many of the songs are so easy to relate to lyrically, even though he is writing in a secondary language. Unspoken had a lot of effect on me, as well as Naive and Empire. Demains music can be so incredible delicate in songs like Unspoken, or climax as in the middle section of Sand (this is truly an incredible moment. Really, every song is absolutely inspired, and picking favorites is almost impossible, but if I had to, I would say the rhythmic, melancholic, longing "Empire," the energized and hopeful Naive, and of course, the incredible all around experience that is "Sand." Honestly, this and the Lunatic Soul album would have to be the best album of 2008, I recommend this album to just about anyone who can take time to appreciate music. Mr. Chapel is a genuine artist, and exactly what the progressive rock scene needs now.