“Empire of Stone” is billed as the focus track from an upcoming six-track concept album to be released by “Untold Jukebox”. It is said to be centered on the history and mythology of the Incan Empire, blending Andean panflute textures with a heavy metal foundation. The YouTube upload on the band’s channel carries its own “Made with AI” disclosure, so listeners should go in knowing upfront this is an AI-assisted production rather than a live band in a studio.
Despite some comparisons with folk metal bands like Eluveitie and The Hu, that’s not really what this is from my perspective. It’s closer to a melodic, 80s-style metal approach, built on a driving rhythm section with symphonic flourishes layered into the arrangement rather than any true folk instrumentation driving the song. It doesn’t land in Nightwish territory either, despite the press kit reaching for that comparison, though “Untold Jukebox” might scratch a similar itch for listeners who like their metal with orchestral scale. None of that is a knock against the song itself. What’s actually here is a well-constructed track with catchy melodic hooks and lyrics that hold more interest than the typical “empire rises” concept-album framing suggests, and it doesn’t need to sound like anyone else’s folk metal catalogue to work on its own terms.
The panflute element I mentioned earlier is more of an accent than a defining feature on this particular track, layered into the mix rather than driving the melodies, which may shift depending on how the rest of the six-track album plays out. “Empire of Stone” by “Untold Jukebox” would be best approached as a curiosity for fans of genre-blending concept records and judged on the strength of the songwriting itself and the creative vision behind it.
