This was originally written for my personal site and never originally intended to be a serious review. It is presented here more or less unedited. You'll have to take it for what it is.

I finally got hold of Course of Empire's last album - "Telepathic Last Words", and by Bakunin's beard, is it one astounding piece of music! Why are there not more bands like this one? Why, oh why did they quit?! The three albums they released ("Course of Empire", "Initiation" and "Telepathic Last Words") are all among the best I have heard in modern rock music - fragile, inspired, emotional, playful, thundering and harsh all at once and still managing to stay coherent - but varied. Influences from all over. You need to hear this shit! Really!

Hell, I shall do a song-by-song review of the album! Yes, I shall!

Radio Teheran

Intro track. A radio tuning through what sounds like it may well be Persian channels. An ominous bass string tone and a pounding tom rhythm introduces the next track.

New Maps

"this is where the giant sleeps - closer than air when you breathe" Wham! Heavy drums, heavy riff, loads of feedback. Oh, yes. No-one but CoE, could this be! Eastern influences in the melodies, bleak lyrics with political overtones and a natural-sounding though forceful chord progression. Undoubtedly heavier than the previous album, "Telepathic Last Words" delivers in full force from the outset. I can imagine lost indiepoppers crumbling under the lead-weight, sheer intricacy of the sound.

The Information

"in a book or a face you will look for your place" This track, I have heard before, on the soundtrack for "Dark City". It's a smashing, intense track built on a bright, repetitive, brain-penetrating riff and drums combo with half-chant singing; the question "What about the information?" repeated at the end of each verse. As probably the most famous track of the band's history, it serves as a pretty good introduction. It's massive but detailed and the complex soundscape is classic CoE.

Automatic Writing No. 17

"deep behind you, i'm immune" Again with the heavy drums, Semrad taking more of a focus with a distinct bass, this time - and a chugging guitar. An insinuating, slow verse leading up to a wonderfully melodic, falling chorus. Through bridges and breaks, it slides and rails, a gated guitar backing sweeping behind the massive, thundering rock statement. Different from previous CoE, but still oh, so unique to their character.

Houdini's Blind

"we're doomed, but the show must go on!" A sudden, Eastern-themed saxophone! Drums and a bass! The swing tempo is back, with a track that gives impressions of a jaded, end-of-the-century version of The Beatles' "Rocky Racoon". Suddenly low-key, CoE lets on an unmistakable sense of humour and then, just as suddenly, they break out into a slamming, jamming chorus which goes on through a bridge and then ends the song. Wonderful.

Ride the Static

"all i want is a place in the sun" Slow, plucking and lazily swaying - dreamy rock with indubitable influences from Pink Floyd but again, with the marked characteristic of CoE. The song swells into riffing, but retains its lazy dreaminess throughout.

Coming of the Century

"this is the surge of a growing tide - this is the end of the mystery" A retake of a slow, distortion-heavy song from the self-titled debut album. Kind of the theme song for the band in my book. Heavier, louder, a great deal more confident and playful. I don't know if I like this version or the original better. They're both awesome.

Persian Song

"i try to separate the real from the unreal - they run together into nothing - something's coming!" A quick, bright riff, some funky drums and a sharp bass-line. A verse where Stevenson's mid-range vocals push through, going on about something that sounds very much like a drug-induced narrative. A staccato lead-up swells into a much-needed release and crescendo in the chorus. Good structure, and a wonderful balance of upbeat and downbeat. In part, this feels Zeppelin-inspired.

59 Minutes

"today, the population watches on amazing, perfect boxes" "Persian Song" fades into twangy, ominous plucking and syncopated tapping on some manner of hand drum. "59 Minutes" comes on slowly and gradually forms into a quirky, rhythmic ballad. I sense a bit of Bowie here, together with deep-rooted rock sensibilities kept skilfully from turning into cliché through variation and playfulness. As it should, the song erupts into crescendoed soloing and chanting a bit beyond the half-way mark and then fades back to simplicity for a long, relaxed ending.

Freaks

"you're all freaks!" Industro-punk-postrock-chugga-whamma-hoo! Bob Geldof would be proud. A much-needed change of tempo and a very enjoyable romp of a song.

Kaptain Kontrol

"he knows why the clouds are green" "Woo-hoo-hoo!", it goes and turns itself to a loud, lazy, major-driven, modern rock song. Bowie meets Radiohead and they get invaded by the Stone Roses. Funny, whacky, upbeat, happy and very, very enjoyable.

Respect

"are you willing to take? are you willing to kill?" Stringy distortion noise precedes a tom beat and a rowdy, staccato riff. The dark, heavy-beat CoE return with vocals asking uncomfortable questions - poking and prodding. The song explodes into fast staccato and massive feedback for the short chorus, and later evolves into complexity and variation while keeping its tone and feel. Laborious, threatening and powerful - the CoE machine rolls right over the listener. The two drummers Lovell and Jerome take centre-stage in the ending sequence, pounding the toms and cymbals in a measured tribal frenzy while Graff makes feedback noises on the guitar.

Blue Moon

"i know i'm always alone" Surf rock sounds and fifties' sensibilities in swing tempo. Another face of the band's distinguished character. Dreamy but sharp - evocative and haunting. A good, short finishing track, leaving the listener wound-down, with the feedback echoing endlessly.

Hidden Track

"i think i loved you all over your bed when you were away" A weird, droning, mainly synth-based track, overlaid with monotone singing about what could only be a stalker. A fun hidden track, testament to the band's self-distance.

Yeah.

Just get the damned album!