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Empire

    
       
       
       
     
             
Victory At Hand are a metal & rock band from Finland, releasing their debut single 'Still Standing' in 2018. 'Empire' is the bands first full length album, and was released in 2020.    
             
Featuring hook laden hard rock, the debut album by Finnish rockers Victory At Hand is a heady mix of rock and metal - well more rock than metal. With nine songs in under thirty minutes it is a little lightweight but still manages to land a few knockout punches. 'Overture' is a one minute atmospheric intro, setting an epic feel for the albums proper opening song 'Rise Of The Empire'. Catchy and keyboards led, 'Rise Of The Empire' is a kind of rock meets pop explosion. 'Flag For The Future' is ballsy and reminds me of a time of when the likes of Aerosmith were ruling the airwaves with their brand of punchy and abrupt hard rock.    
             
All songs on offer bar one, chime in at less than three and a half minutes in length - 'Honourable Man' hitting hard with a mild touch of the blues and a massive hint of the classic glam rock style. Victory At Hand run very close to tripping over the borders of the alternative and stoner rock genres, yet manage to remain upright and continue their assault on the rock and metal community with the darker and heavier 'After Hours'. Another explosive mix of rock and pop and metal, 'After Hours' is gonna appeal to a wide range of fans. Mid tempo and stomping heavily, 'Twilight' is a melodic march of moody intent. The down tone rhythm is, however, highly infectious and will have heads nodding and feet tapping wherever it is heard.    
             
Lifting the feel of the album to an almost party anthem level, 'State Of The Empire' is heavy hitting hard rock to get people moving - not moshing, just jumping around and having a good time. 'Aftermath' is varied in styles, featuring fast and aggressive moments spliced with catchy hard rock and mid tempo glam rock, and an injection of near death metal growled vocals for a few song lines. Victory At Hand certainly do not intend on being pigeon holed into one single genre - their musical boundaries are far and wide, as is their growing fan base. The longest song on offer at over five minutes, 'Fall Of The Empire', ends the album in power ballad territory. Highly reminiscent of early Ratt, Cinderella and Skid Row power ballads, 'Fall Of The Empire' has plenty of power and buzz, with a soulful yet powerful vocal performance.    
             
Overall, a unique blend of rock and metal, 'Empire' has been heavily influenced by the eighties, mainly the glam rock genre and the burgeoning pop culture.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Victory At Hand    
             
             
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