A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ….
That famous opening crawl appears on the screen. As it disappears, the Star Wars logo appears, accompanied by the full force of an orchestra. The bombastic, grandiose instrumentation lets the audience immediately know they are in for something epic. That opening has been used in the Star Wars films since it debuted with A New Hope in 1977. While John Williams has written and conducted so many iconic film scores, he will always be most known for his work with Star Wars. He’s an absolute legend and should be honored at every opportunity.
That’s exactly what metal tribute band Galactic Empire does with their brand new album, Special Edition. Consisting of 11 songs from across the Star Wars Universe (including Williams and other composers), Special Edition is an absolute love letter to the franchise.
Major fandoms often generate tribute bands of some fashion. The quality can definitely hit or miss, and the lyrics can be packed with inside jokes and quips designed to appeal to fans even if the music isn’t up to snuff. That makes it pretty easy to pick out the bands who are both huge fans and immensely talented.
The musicianship of Galactic Empire is on par with most heavy hitters in the metal genre.
Galactic Empire is the preeminent tribute band in all of the galaxy. It would be easy to focus on kickass cosplay and rest on the laurels of your gimmick, but the five members of this group do nothing of the sort. It’s immediately evident that the five individuals underneath the costumes are talented musicians. Instead of performing straight covers, they take fan-favorite compositions from across the franchise and put their own spins on them.
Admittedly, I started listening to Galactic Empire first because of the Star Wars connection. But they’re so good, the connection fades away immediately. I continue listening because I’m extremely engaged with what they’re doing. While the guitar takes center stage on most of the tracks on the album, the band’s drummer is absolutely epic. The machine gun rhythm of the double-kick drum drives the melodies for each composition. Everything coming from the drum set just demands your attention.
Some of the covers on the album are more direct than others. For instance, you can’t really riff on the opening credits song much because it’s so iconic. Other compositions allow for looser interpretations: for example, “The Battle of Hoth.” While an important sonic portion of Empire Strikes Back, the theme accompanying the battle isn’t quite the standout as others. But when Galactic Empire gets done with it, their cover gives the song the gravitas it rightfully deserves.
Galactic Empire also pays tribute to the newer entries into the franchise as well.
It would be easy to release an album with only John Williams pieces. Galactic Empire pays homage to the popular shows currently streaming on Disney+. With the success of The Mandalorian, it’s a no-brainer to at least include that theme song. The band takes the song from its spaghetti western roots and creates an epic heavy metal song. I’ve heard a few covers of this theme now, and Galactic Empire’s rendition is one of my favorites. They also creates fresh versions of the themes for The Book of Boba Fett and The Bad Batch as well.
Whether you’re a new or old fan of Star Wars, or just a fan of a good metal band, there’s a lot to like with Special Edition by Galactic Empire. I also commend Pure Noise Records for stepping outside of their norm in terms of the albums they release. I never expected a predominantly punk rock label to release a Star Wars metal tribute band, but they did, and the galaxy is a better place because of it.