When thinking of movie scores composed by Howard Shore, John Williams, and Brad Fiedel, the compositions stick out for how memorable they are. They have become trapped in our cultural zeitgeist, forever inspiring musicians and film makers alike to capture a fraction of the movements in their art. For Galactic Empire, those scores have inspired a legion of albums and singles that showcase the bands technical prowess while also providing excellent covers of famous movie scores.
“If you have a great melody, there’s a lot you can do with any arrangement to change up the style. That’s the most fun part of the process,” says Grant McFarland, drummer and founding member of Galactic Empire.
The band has spawned three albums, entirely composed of arrangements from the Star Wars universe. On their newest album Cinemetal, out now on Pure Noise Records, they are expanding their scope to include other songs from famous movies.
“We felt like we had touched on most of the major themes from the [Star Wars] films over the years,” says McFarland. “We always wanted to branch out and try our hand at some other blockbuster themes, so it felt like it was time when we went to work on Cinemetal.”
Fans can expect to hear themes from Terminator, Superman, and Back to the Future on the new album—songs that can stand the test of time, and still be memorable after all these years. “When I hear these songs, they instantly trigger nostalgia for myself, and I think they also do for a large majority of our listeners,” says McFarland.
Choosing the songs to cover is not as easy as it seems. McFarland says that the themes from James Bond and Ghostbusters were considered, however, when it came to how hard the arrangements hit, they had to be scrapped, though they may appear later down the line if they get the feel right. “We ended up focusing on others instead,” says McFarland. “Sometimes you never know the potential for a song until you explore it.”
They are masters of their craft. Not only do they play these intricate songs live, but they add theatrical flair to their live shows, donning costumes that add to the mystique of the band. “We have always tried to make our live show more of an experience then simply a metal performance. As the band evolves, I think the live show will also follow suit,” says McFarland. “My goal would be to definitely amp up the humor and the visual story telling. It makes the live show a lot more fun to be a part of.”
According to McFarland, the hardest part of the live shows aren’t the costumes, but keeping up with the compositions. “The larger issue at hand is keeping our wits about us enough to remember an hour worth of material that doesn’t really have any repeating choruses,” says McFarland. “When parts return in the music, they usually have a different spin on them. There are some nice, rare moments that are the same, which are an extremely small break for the brain.”
With a busy touring schedule this fall, things are looking great for the band. However, this isn’t the last stop for the band. They are already planning the next wave of songs they are going to cover. “We would 100% approach video games, TV, and more in the future. It’s already on our radar and absolutely plan on doing this,” says McFarland. “It’s the obvious evolution from here, so it’s clear we aren’t the only ones who thought of this.”
Cinemetal is out now and you can order it from Pure Noise Records. Follow Galactic Empire on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Twitch for future updates.
Photo Credit: Kyle Bergfors
