Empress

“FATEWEAVER” the debut album by Empress is out now!     
 “The group started in 2018 and consists of drummer Mark Stainthorpe, bassist Nick Bonsanto, singer Barbara Blackthorne, and guitarists Joseph Muir and Vlad Khavin (who also produced and engineered it). In addition, keyboardist Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Silent Skies) assisted with the production, while multitalented veteran Dan Swanö (Evergrey, Opeth, Bloodbath) mixed and mastered it. Obviously, Empress owe a debt to artists such as Symphony X, Kamelot, Rhapsody of Fire, and Nightwish; yet, there’s easily enough originality, variety, and drive within Fateweaver to demonstrate commendable characteristics all their own. 
 Empress may be a burgeoning band, but with Fateweaver, they prove themselves capable of rivaling the best of their genre peers and progenitors. Khavin, Muir, Stainthorpe, and Bonsanto are undoubtedly masters of their craft who never prioritize self-congratulatory showmanship over the cumulative needs of the music. Instead, they compose and perform with a unified vision that—led by Blackthorne’s dignified dexterity—should immediately take them to the forefront of the modern symphonic metal movement.” - Metal Injection