The Last Days of Empire

Straight outta NJ, The Last Days of Empire release their newest album 'The Veronica Project' and put simply: it's fantastic. It's bands like this that make this blog worthwhile.

Passionate vocals and top notch musicianship make 'The Veronica Project' a superb listen. Reminiscent of the wonderful Boy Night Out's 'Trainwreck', the album opens with a spoken word intro. It sets the scene for the journey of the album, painting the picture of a post-apocalyptic world and puts you in story time mode, just before the first song, '39 Sniper' roundhouse kicks you in the face.

Don't be put off by the phrase concept album being banded about when describing this CD, it's listener friendly and each song easily listenable in isolation from one another. Stand out tracks are 'Prizefighter' which progressively builds in emotion culminating in a screaming refrain and 'The Faceless'. Others have compared Last Days of Empire to 30 Seconds to Mars (again don't let that out you off!!) and I fully expect them to climb to the same dizzy heights of their game.


Epic is not a word I use lightly, as a lot of kids do these days, but it is more than fitting. From the thoughtful lyrics that read like a fairytale to the roaring choruses, ranging from the delicate to the enraged  - it has all the elements you want from music. It's so multi-layered that the more you listen to it, the more you get out of it.

I had a quick catch up with Michael (guitar/vocals). Here's what he had to say about the new record and those 30 Seconds to Mars comparisons...

Tell me about your new album, 'The Veronica Project.' What's the concept/idea behind it etc? What influenced you to create such a piece of work?   
Well, I've always been fascinated with sci-fi movies like The Terminator and Children of Men. I pull a lot of inspiration from concepts involved in movies like that. Post-apocalyptic civilization and machines running the Earth are big themes for me and let's face it, they could be our realities one day. So, the theme comes from that. In the not-to-distant future a nation is dealing with everyday life after a nuclear war of sorts. The amount of loss and complication surrounding something of that magnitude can be staggering. The nation ends up in a civil war. One side is the remaining super-elite army and the other is the resistance. The songs don't follow a story line, but are more of a glimpse into a day-in-the-life of that world. Friends and family dying, fighting the same people you are a part of, hunger, sickness, love and hope are all factors in these people's day to day lives. And that is what the songs are about. Living in a situation like that. It may sound a little depressing, but a future like this could be a possibility, but it's the hope and love that people have, along with being in survival mode, that will hopefully get them through.

You're from NJ - as are a lot of fantastic bands - what do you think it is about NJ that produces such great music? 
NJ has produced some amazing bands that have been a big influence on me in so many ways. Whether it be musical, work ethic, or just inspiring, bands like Saves the Day, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Thursday, The Gaslight Anthem, My Chemical Romance, Misfits and Lifetime really helped pave the way for bands like ours and many others. I think NJ has always had more of a DIY/blue-collar attitude. Being in the middle of New York City and Philadelphia has sometimes made us the underdogs. So, we always tend to push a little harder. 

You've been compared to 30 Seconds to Mars. How do you feel about that?

 To be honest, I feel completely flattered. I always find it very interesting to see what comparisons people make of the band or my voice. It's interesting to figure out where they pull the comparison from. I have always been a fan of Jared Leto's acting and I am definitely becoming a bigger fan of 30STM. I recently saw them live and it changed my whole perspective of them. They blew me away. The show was completely inspiring. I love the whole theme and image of that band and I give Jared Leto a ton of credit for all of his hard work on his project. I can see the comparison, and I understand it and that is totally fine for me! I would love the opportunity to tour or collaborate with them. I think our two bands would go great together sonically and I think 30STM fans would enjoy us.

You mentioned you were on the Far reunion tour. How was that? What other shows/tours are you going to be doing in the future in support of the new record?

Ah, the Far Reunion Tour! What a great 5 days of my life! Far is one of my all time favorite bands and a very big influence on me. It was such an honor to go out with them. The band and their crew are all a great bunch of guys. It was a great experience for us a a band, and for me personally. I stay in touch with Jonah, and we even did some acoustic shows together recently. I am very grateful for the whole experience. As for touring for the new record, unfortunately our van died on the Far tour, and we are in the process of acquiring a new one. We have been playing as many shows a we can realistically get to for the time being. We are also playing our new record front-to-back "unplugged" at certain dates for a whole new twist on our sound. As for more extensive touring we are in the process for figuring out dates right now. Probably Eastern US to start.

On your Myspace you talk of not being afraid to take steps though a 'dying scene'. What do you see as killing the scene?
I think there are a few things that are "killing the scene". There was a time when bands supported each other, and kids went to every single show there was. I feel that there is less of a camaraderie between bands and more of a fashion show competition going on. It shouldn't matter how you look, or how you sound. Just the fact that you get on stage and do your best to deliver your art should be enough. I think there are too many bands out there that don't offer much to the listener. Constant cookie-cutter images of a played out sound don't challenge the listener to appreciate what the the band is trying to get across.  It's one thing to be influenced by a band or genre, but it's another to do everything you can to look, act and sound like that band. Shallow music that doesn't convince the listener will turn away the larger audience.

For a limited time only Last Days of Empire are offering you 'The Veronica Project' for whatever you want to pay for it. Go here to find out more. Check out more information on Last Days of Empire over on Myspace and Twitter.