Opening the night were local concept metal band Knight of the Round, featuring four dudes from the Midwest gettin’ down to some of the heaviest game music arrangements all under the theme of Final Fantasy. I’ve never played Final Fantasy, but I can still appreciate the dedication and commitment to this long-standing game series from Knight of the Round.
While I personally didn’t recognize any of the music from the series, I still enjoyed their set as it featured extremely technical instrumental moments that would be immediately followed by hard-hitting riffs and breakdowns creating the perfect balance between showmanship and those well-timed simplistic moments. Knight of the Round were the perfect opener for Galactic Empire, as they were in the same genre realm, but also are a group of people that really love the iconic series they’re covering.
While this wasn’t the first prog show I’ve been to, nor the first time I’ve seen instrumental prog acts or experimental projects, this was the first time I’ve seen one perform entirely under the theme of Star Wars. Galactic Empire knows how to commit to the bit, from the music to their on-stage cosplays and personas. Starting back in 2015 out of two other bands, Unparalleled Height and Century, Galactic Empire had humble beginnings. Debuting with prog metal renditions of the main Star Wars theme and then “The Imperial March” quickly resulted in a dedicated, cult, online fanbase resulting in the group starting a crowd-funding campaign to record their debut album and tour. Out of this success, Rise Records took notice, signing the band to help them finish their official debut in 2017 followed by their second record, Episode II, and numerous singles.
As a huge Star Wars nerd, I have been wanting to see this band since I first heard about them in 2015; plus, it still has been a regret of mine to not catch them play Sub-T with Mac Sabbath a couple of years ago. Thankfully I was finally able to catch them at the historic Hobart Art Theater and was not disappointed. Opening up with the “Main Theme” followed by classics like “Imperial March,” “The Force Theme,” “Duel of the Fates,” and more, Galactic Empire managed to tap into the perfect vein of nostalgia while still delivering a fresh and new take on these iconic soundtracks.
Taking the extra step, Galactic Empire have even created their own storylines within their live performances to bring the audience even deeper into the Star Wars experience by including changing cosplays with each album and tour cycle, stage banter amongst each other between songs, Lord Revan being informed of “Rebel scum amongst us,” and even bringing a “rebel” onstage to be force choked to the ground.
With the rebels eliminated, the show could now go on, as they continued their renditions of other iconic Star Wars moments and hits from across all the movies and even the tv shows. Putting the costumes and theatrics to the side, Galactic Empire are composed of incredibly talented musicians that have managed to put fresh new twists on already iconic and famous pieces of music, in addition to being able to perform it all live while wearing massive, bulky costumes. Galactic Empire are the perfect show to check out something new and unique, so make sure to catch them on their next intergalactic conquest across the galaxy.
Galactic Empire
Knight of the Round
