Galactic Empire

Galactic Empire consists of four prog-metal musicians who devised an unusual premise for their ensemble by converting selections from the Star Wars soundtrack into platforms for aggressive metallic shredding while appearing onstage in the guises of Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Stormtroopers, and additional Sith lords. The lineup features guitarists Josh Willis, C.J. Masciantonio, and Chris Kelly along with drummer Grant McFarland and bassist Carson Slovak, the first two of whom had previously performed together in Unparalleled Height while Slovak and McFarland had been members of Century. The act first appeared online through YouTube in December 2015, opening with a metal-infused rendition of the Star Wars “Main Theme” that was succeeded in spring 2016 by their arrangement of “The Imperial March.” A crowdfunding effort to finance an album and tour was initiated by May and reached its goals by midsummer. Rise Records subsequently signed the group, issuing the self-titled debut album in February 2017. The aptly titled Episode II followed the next year and centered on material drawn from the Star Wars sequels.