Formed in Dallas, Texas, Course of Empire brought together guitarist Mike Graff, vocalist Vaughn Stevenson, drummers Chad Lovell and Michael Jerome, and bassist Paul Semrad to deliver heavy metal laced with thoughtful political commentary. The band issued a self-titled debut and the follow-up Initiation on Zoo Entertainment before the label collapsed and left them without support. Touring slots alongside Prong and Sister Machine Gun kept their message in circulation. Rather than lose the budget earmarked for a third Zoo release, the group constructed its own studio and bided time until TVT Records offered a deal. That partnership yielded Telepathic Last Words, issued in late 1997 and widely regarded as the band’s strongest, most cohesive effort; many listeners beyond the Dallas region had assumed the long silence signaled a breakup. Like its predecessor, the album examined conspiracy theories and the national fixation on hidden plots and betrayal. Producer John Fryer, known for work with Nine Inch Nails and Gravity Kills, supplied a subtle techno inflection to the group’s established metal sound.
