The Black Map #152: Neon Empire from Dublin!

Making waves since forming in 2019, Neon Empire are a Metalcore quartet from Dublin Ireland who originally started out life as a solo project of guitarist and clean-vocalist Hassan Ali. They’re the kind of band that some might consider a guilty pleasure due to their love of adding electronic embellishments to tracks in a similar way to Palisades or The Browning but was separates them from the pack is their love of seven string guitar work with Ali often using a Schecter Demon 7 tuned in G D G C F A D. That gives them a bigger sound which is particularly evident on the brutal single “Wrath“, their first after debut EP “Distorted Reality“. Citing influences in Metalcore titans like Bullet for my Valentine, Architects and While She Sleeps as well as the Electro Metal Pioneers like Crossfaith and Attack Attack! They’ll be hoping to share stages with one of those bigger names before too long and perhaps Download or Bloodstock festival will serve as perfect opportunity to do exactly that as they have a sound that fits the bill. In September they’ll be playing a pair of support shows as part of the “Burn In The Flood” headlining tour from Our Hollow, Our Home. Both dates will also feature Dream Awake.

14th Dublin, The Grand Social

15th Belfast, Voodoo