ALBUM REVIEW: The Stratosphere Beneath Our Feet – Atlas : Empire

In the summer of 2011, Glasgow musicians Steven Gillies and Jamie Sturt decided to leave the increasingly commercially focused outfit that they were both a part of, and form their own band. Seven years and three well-received EPs later, ATLAS : EMPIRE, comprising of Gillies, Sturt, and Robert Hasebe, have unleashed their debut album. The trio say that the new release, entitled The Stratosphere Beneath Our Feet, is their most diverse offering to date, and it would be hard not to agree with that statement.

Rather than being just a simple extension of the work that they have put out up to now, the band have taken the opportunity to craft a ten-track concept record, a lyrical exploration of humanity’s growing reliance on technology, and how a modern society, disconnected from interacting with one another in an organic way, collapses when this is suddenly removed. This narrative, delivered from a unique perspective with each song, is reflected through the sound, with the album being split into three sections.

The first part, made up of the opening four tracks, is delivered at an almost frantic pace, with the vocals getting more and more angst-ridden, and the guitar riffs, bass lines, and drum beats gradually rising in aggression. This is an effective way of building up the suspense towards the mass technological collapse itself, which occurs towards the end of fourth number The Moment We Were Exploding.

The following song, Gethsemane, begins with a gentle strum of an acoustic guitar, and it becomes quickly apparent that it is the immediate aftermath of a technological apocalypse. The vocals are more subdued, and everything, in regards to the sound, has pretty much been stripped back. Gethsemane lingers into the sixth track, The Entire History Of You, which is an instrumental lasting approximately eight and a half minutes, that in the hands of a collective with less musical talent, simply would not work, but the three-piece use their expertise to pull it off to much success by taking a rather atmospheric approach.

The final part, comprising of the last four songs, sees the band venture down a more progressive, melancholic path, a representation of society attempting to move forwards without technology as a safety net to fall back on. The angsty vocal delivery remains, however, the music, in stark contrast to the first section, is done at a far less intense pace, resulting in a further atmospheric sound.

Overall, The Stratosphere Beneath Our Feet, with its intelligent lyrical content, and unrestricted sonic approach, is an album that enables ATLAS : EMPIRE to try some new things, and effectively show how much they have matured as musicians, whilst also building on the successes of their previous output, without alienating the band’s loyal fan base, and also provides the listener with food for thought, particularly in regards to the way contemporary technology is changing humanity, both as a species, and as individuals. Therefore, it will be interesting to see, after this, what steps will be taken next by the Scottish trio.

Rating: 7/10

The Stratosphere Beneath Our Feet is set for release on December 7th via self-release. 

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