Here's a ballad/slow-country chord progression that feels like it resolves to D currently, whatever key it says here.


Chords wise, How can I make this one spicier without leaving the world of country ballads?

[Apparently attaching sgu files here isn't permitted?]

Here is your Country Ballad Em Harmonized Diatonic Scale which you are using:
Em -F#dim - G - Am - Bm - C - D. You do apparently already have a major/minor substituion with the use of the A which adds a bit of spice. Otherwise, Pretty much the "Cowboy Chords".

You could extend the 7th to each of the triads for : Em7 - F#m7b5 - GM7 - Am7-Bmin7 - CM7 - D7. I would say this change would make the chords "prettier". Better suited for a ballad.

Or you could adjust the chords to a E Dorian b5 Scaler for " Mysterious, Dark and Unstable feel".
Em -Fm - G - Ab aug - B dim - C - D dim. Is that spicy?

Perhaps we have to add extensions to the chords to get a more jazz feel. Maybe that is what you should look at for "spicy".
Em11 - F#m11,b5,b9 - Gmaj11 - Am11 - Bm11b9 - Cmaj9#11 - D11

I love those ideas. Especially E Dorian flat 5. To begin to have melodic ideas in E Dorian Flat 5 I should probably sit here and play that scale on my piano and then I will hear the melodic line following that.

I think by spicy I more mean dark and unstable, rather than more Jazzy.

Good choice - dark and melancholy. Let me help you start.