Course of Empire (band)

Course of Empire
Course of Empire, 1994
Background information
Origin	Dallas, Texas
Genres	Post-punk, industrial music, Alternative rock
Years active	1988–1998
Labels	Carpe Diem Records Zoo Entertainment TVT Records
Website	CourseOfEmpire.com
Members	Mike Graff Vaughn Stevenson Chad Lovell Michael Jerome Paul Semrad

Course of Empire was a hard-edged, post-industrial, post-punk, and alternative band based in Dallas, Texas, from 1988 to 1998.

In the band's early days, large drums would be placed throughout the audience as a means to eliminate the separation between performer and audience. Inspired by the Kodo Drummers of Japan, the band sought to use the theater of mass drumming to illustrate their vision of a future culture that would evolve as a response to the exponentially increasing human population on the planet. This practice was stopped, however, when the drums ceased to be played by ever-increasing crowds, becoming dangerous missiles instead. However, the band retained one defining feature with two drummers playing simultaneously (Michael Jerome and Chad Lovell) creating a propulsive, driving beat that underlaid many of the group's songs.

Song topics were initially of a more political and environmental stance (the name "Course of Empire" having come from a 5-piece series by 19th century painter Thomas Cole). As film students at Southern Methodist University, members of the band infused their songs with references to the environment, culture and the effects of humankind on the planet. Later, the lyrical content would take on topics related to conspiracy theories and the personal quest of spirituality.

The band released three studio albums over their ten-year existence: one on the Dallas label Carpe Diem, one with Zoo Entertainment, and one with TVT Records. Additionally, they toured with industrial-metal groups such as Prong, Sister Machine Gun, Stabbing Westward, Young Gods, and many others. The band's first two albums established the group's sound: precise, driving drums overlaid with heavy industrial guitars and hard-edged vocals. However, the group refused to conform to any particular genre, incorporating elements of Eastern and Middle Eastern music, tabla drumming, and electronic music into their songs.