Empyrean is my major follow-up album, built from nearly three years of work, emotion, frustration, growth, and dedication. It is the biggest project I have released so far, both in scale and in what it represents for me as a composer.
The album explores the idea of a mighty king ruling over a failing kingdom. It is not just about power or royalty, but about the weight that comes with being responsible for something that is already starting to fall apart. I wanted the music to feel grand and powerful, but also heavy, tragic, and human.
Even though Empyrean has an overall theme, each song was written to stand on its own. Some tracks feel like they belong in a trailer, some feel built for an action sequence, and others lean more into fantasy, war, grief, or quiet reflection. I wanted every piece to feel connected to the same world, while still having its own identity and purpose.
A lot of Empyrean is built around contrast. There are moments that feel victorious and massive, with epic brass, sweeping strings, winds, and large percussion. But underneath that, there is always a sense that something is wrong. The kingdom is breaking. The crown is heavy. The victories do not feel as clean as they should.
Musically, this album leans into cinematic orchestral writing with some metal elements woven in. I wanted the orchestra to feel huge, but not polished to the point where it loses its weight. The brass needed to feel bold, the strings needed to feel emotional, and the percussion needed to feel like war drums echoing through a collapsing world.
For me, Empyrean is about legacy, collapse, pride, grief, and the cost of trying to hold everything together. It follows the feeling of a ruler who may still be powerful, but is standing in a kingdom that cannot be saved forever. There is beauty in that, but there is also tragedy.
This album took years to shape. There were a lot of rewrites, a lot of moments where I questioned if it was working, and a lot of time spent trying to make it feel like the album I heard in my head. After three years of work, tears, and dedication, Empyrean is finally ready.