Course of Empire, an American alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas, was formed by founding members vocalist Vaughn Stevenson, guitarist Mike Graff, and bassist Paul Semrad, along with drummers Chad Lovell and Michael Jerome. Course of Empire's debut album, Course of Empire, was released on Carpe Diem Records in 1990. After signing with Zoo Entertainment, the band reissued their debut and released their second album, Initiation, in 1994. In 1998, they released their third studio album, Telepathic Last Words, under TVT Records. Notable songs include "The Information" (1998), which appeared on the soundtrack for the film Dark City. The band disbanded in 1998. In 2004, Graff and Martin Baird of Verge Music Works recording studio mixed the still-existing 24-track recordings of the band's final performance at Trees. They personally financed and self-released the material under the title Phone Calls from the Dead.
