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Rotterdam-based hard rock quintet Order of the Emperor: Wouter, Bruno, Aleks, Wout and Jeff – deliver those familiar hard rock riffs alongside twin solos and melodic, raw vocals. The band has toured extensively throughout the Netherlands and shared the stage with bands like Angel Witch and Transport League in just the last two years.

Last October, Order of the Emperor released their debut long player entitled Behold that went on to win the 3voor12 Rotterdam Album of the Year. The current single from the album is called As the World Burns that very much encapsulates the sound of the hard rock five-piece, but also facilitates a social commentary on the state of the world at the same time.

Recently, Order of the Emperor had a chat with AMNplify about the music and more. Check it out below!

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How and when did the band form?

The band formed some years ago out of the ashes of our previous bands and after a couple of line-up changes, here we are!

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music?

It’s in our blood. Besides drinking all kinds of beer, this is what we do best! On a more serious note, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, UFO, Rainbow; the list goes on.

Can you describe Order of the Emperor in one sentence?

Bang your head to the Emperor of Rock!!

What is the inspiration behind As the World Burns?

Just turn on the TV, read a newspaper or watch all your stupid telephone apps; the general state of the world we live in is quite f***ed. So it’s pretty obvious!

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What are the themes explored on the Behold album?

Death, world downfall and overcoming personal obstacles. Also, the everlasting powers of the sea are used figuratively and literally as well as rock and beer.

What inspires your song writing more broadly?

Everything from the bands I just mentioned to movies, stories, everyday life and struggles and the will to overcome them. That there’s always a time to let go and have fun.

What makes Order of the Emperor different to similar sounding bands?

We take the old school sound and bring it into the now. We are no retro band, we love the classic stuff but we also realise that it’s 2017 and no 1971. We like to put on a great performance, no tricks or gimmicks or vague mysterious bull****, what you see is what you get!!

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What has been your most memorable career highlight to date?

Every song is a highlight, every time we play those songs and unleash their power is a highlight…recording and releasing them on an album and playing them on memorable places also playing in Germany and playing with some great bands.

What is something you want to achieve career-wise that you haven’t done yet?

Bring out a second album and bringing it to the people. Playing some big festivals or great venues is more important than doing 10,000 gigs every year.

If you could play any venue in the world, where would it be and why?

I have no idea. Sometimes the place is not important but the vibe has to be awesome!

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AMNPLIFY – DB