Southern Empire - Another World (2023)

Something like this doesn’t happen often: an artist I really like joins a band I know, and the result is an even better band overall. Southern Empire has made a name for themselves over the last several years, and they are back with their new album, Another World, that features a new singer. The album released on September 4th.

Southern Empire hail from–you guessed it–Australia. I’ve been interested in their past albums, especially 2018’s Civilisation, but I hadn’t jived with the band’s music fully. With the new record, they have recruited vocalist Shaun Holton. The lineup on this album is Shaun on vocals, Cam Blokland on guitars and vocals, Jez Martin on bass, Brody Green on drums and vocals, and Sean Timms on keys, guitars, and vocals. You will also hear Danny Lopresto on guitar, Steve Unruh on violin and flute, Adam Page on tenor sax, Marek Arnold on soprano sax, Lisa Wetton on percussion and narration, and Amanda Timms on flute.

Now, I’ve been a fan of Shaun’s music for over a decade in the form of his Projected Twin project. Indeed, 2013’s Earth vs World, in addition to his Earth to World debut in 2010, still gets regular playtime from me. In fact, it was my album of the year. I’ve been following Shaun’s career with great interest, even his stint on The Voice Australia and his subsequent solo album under his own name—another gem. And so here he is now in all his progressive rock glory, and he really shines.

The band plays a modern prog rock with plenty of melody, technical instrumentals, gracious choruses, and even some surprisingly heavy moments. One of the things I like about their music is that they balance heaviness with ambience and darkness with, I daresay, happiness. They also give various instruments, such as saxophone and flute, their due time and room in the mix, and so the whole package sounds illustrious and classy, but it also rocks hard.

Another World is the band’s most cohesive work, in my view. Shaun sings his heart out; he really reaches and hits some amazing notes, and his signature timbre is on full display. I would also highlight Cam’s guitars for having such a perfect crunch, and Jez’s voluptuous bass and Brody’s intricate drumming that are such characters in this story. Sean’s keys, too, hover over it all, like the morning dawn, and there are a few piercing synth solos that feed my love for such a thing.

The album has seven tracks, but is longer than you might think. There are highlights all over the place here. I’ll be honest and say that my least favorite tune is the opener, “Reaching Out”; it has such a bouncy and maybe gushing vibe that takes me by surprise every time, and I honestly don’t think it is a great representation of the album’s overall sound. Still, I enjoy it for what it is. And I can look past it, too, because the next two songs are absolute fire in a bottle. “Face the Dawn” has plenty of heavier moments and has such deep personality, and Shaun sounds fantastic. It does not feel twelve minutes long. “Hold On To Me” comes next, and is one of the most sing-able songs on the record. I believe it is a duet between Cam and Shaun, and the contrast between their voices makes it sound amazing, in addition to the chorus being truly memorable and emotional.

The last four tracks do not let up on quality. ‘When You Return” is such a cool track with its groovy vibe and driving guitars, and I even love the narration in the second half. “Moving Through Tomorrow” is a tribute to the famous poem Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night by Dylan Thomas, and possibly of the movie Interstellar, which used that poem liberally. The lyrics quote it, but it comes off as completely natural, and the breezy chorus is a terrific extension of that.

The last two tracks are quite different from each other. “White Shadows” is a 20-minute epic that has plenty to offer in its various transitions. I love the flute and sax on this one, especially; there’s a moment where I thought the song sounded like a Toxic Smile or Cyril tune, and then I realized that was because Marek Arnold was laying down his signature sax, and that just made me love it all the more. This epic is cinematic and a truly great song. The closer, “Butterfly”, is much more reserved. It is mostly an acoustic sort of track with Cam on vocals and hovering flutes. It feels precious, for lack of a better word, and it is a beautiful ending.

Southern Empire can count me as a fan for sure now. I love this sound, and Shaun’s voice will always be a favorite of mine. Another World has such zest and life within it that it becomes simply infectious. It’s almost impossible not to love it to some degree. I hope progressive rock fans will embrace it.