By Ryan J. Nims
The Deep Ellum district of Dallas in the 1990s was fertile ground for alternative music; bands such as Deep Blue Something, Toadies, Tripping Daisy, and Reverend Horton Heat are among the well-known bands from the scene. One of the less widely known but most innovative bands from this scene was Course of Empire. Mixing punk, alternative metal, goth, and industrial, CoE had a sound unlike anyone else. Notably, featuring two drummers—inspired by Japanese drum troupe Kodō—giving their music a huge, complex percussive sound. In early concerts, the band would distribute drums to the crowd, allowing for audience participation in the percussion. This proved to be a safety risk, and the practice was discontinued. I would love to have been in attendance at one of these early shows.
In 1990, Dallas independent label Carpe Diem released the debut self-titled CD. 35 years later, they have released the album on vinyl. Course of Empire is a diverse album, featuring hard rock as well as acoustic tracks, and Middle Eastern influences on a few songs.
“Ptah” opens with narration by a man credited as Professor Ted Gardner. The song title is a reference to the Egyptian god of craftsmen.
“Coming of the Century” is a song that the band would revisit on their final album. Musically, it shows a punk influence, with some great percussion and guitar solos.
“God’s Jig” features Dave Abbruzzese—who would later play drums on Pearl Jam’s albums vs. and Vitalogy—filling in for second drummer Chad Lovell, who had briefly quit the band.
“Copious” features industrial percussion and a driving beat, reminiscent of Ministry.
“Cradle Calls” is one of the most outright metal songs on the album, whereas “Under the Skies” is more alternative rock.
“Peace Child” is a more subdued track, with shimmering guitars and synths.
The acoustic track “Sins of the Fathers” gives some breathing room before the pummeling percussive track “Thrust,” which really shows off the dynamic double drumming.
Another punk-inflected song, “Mountains of the Spoken,” follows.
The album closes with the ambient instrumental track “Dawn of the Great Eastern Sun.”
This vinyl release contains two additional ambient tracks, “Leaves of Gold” and “Acorns.”
This vinyl release comes after the 2023 reissue of the band’s second album Initiation (1994) from DFW Legacy Series, and Fields of Discipline (2022, self-released) featuring songs recorded at SMU TV studios in 1989. These records followed a series of benefit shows for drummer Chad Lovell, who had experienced a traumatic brain injury in 2019. Their third and final album, Telepathic Last Words (1998, TVT Records) has yet to see a reissue, but here’s hoping it one day receives the vinyl treatment like the rest of their discography.