Fallen Empire Records
Based in Portland, Fallen Empire specializes in black metal that antagonizes the often-cheery disposition of the Oregon city. Founded in 2011, Fallen Empire started as a way to distribute obscure black metal from Europe that had not made its way to North America. Frustrated with international shipping rates on desired albums, the label began to sell a selection of albums with a much cheaper rate. Nowadays, Fallen Empire is primarily a label motivated by "a dissatisfaction of a different kind" says its founder. The label has quickly grown into a go-to source for some of the best that international and domestic underground metal has to offer. Amongst its current lineup is the burgeoning international project containing members of Leviathan, Krieg, and Blut Aus Nord named Martröð. The label's other notable acts include cosmic black metallurgists Aureole and Mare Cognitum (together on their recent split, Resonance: Crimson Void), Skáphe, Naðra, and Lluvia. Fallen Empire places all of its emphasis on analog formats when choosing to do physical releases.
The label had numerous offerings this year, many coming from the artists listed above. Martröð built a powerful two-song recording, Transmutation of Wounds. Skáphe released two full lengths, Skáphe and Skáphe2. Naðra and Jassa saw critical acclaim with Allir vegir til glötunar and Lights in the Howling Wilderness, respectively. Meanwhile, Aureole just released his second full-length album, Aurora Borealis through the label this year. These are just some of the many releases Fallen Empire Records had a hand in during 2016. There are currently many things at work behind the scenes for the label in 2017. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for what is to come.
Fallen Empire can be found (for now) on Facebook, Bandcamp, Instagram, or their official shop.
