From SCOPE online magazine (http://www.scopemag.com) COURSE OF EMPIRE Telepathic Last Words TVT Readers often ask why more industrial-metal releases aren’t profiled in these pages, to which I’m compelled to reply that Skinny Puppy is dead, and Ministry, Consolidated, Prong and Course of Empire take too long between albums. The difference between certifiable mischief-makers like Course Of Empire and hacks like Gravity Kills is that pronounced; this Dallas, Texas quintet truly belongs in that higher echelon. Telepathic Last Words, COE’s first release in four years, is hard enough to cut diamonds, without sacrificing melody or literacy for bombast. "New Maps," "Automatic Writing #17" and "The Information" slam into jaded ears with a shock usually reserved for missile impacts; "Houdini’s Blind" and "Blue Moon" (yes, the Rodgers and Hart classic) sneak up on the listener with charming stealth, like a virus communicated by kissing. Producer John Fryer allows the band’s dual-drummer assault to roll unimpeded, allows sexy/creepy vocalist Vaughan Stevenson to stretch out and encourages guitarist Mike Graff to contribute his smartest playing to date. The end result is aggressive, smart and worthy of the company in which the band have inadvertently placed themselves. (Geoff Carter)