Imperia are old hands at this Symphonic Metal lark. In fact, their debut emerged back in 2004 when Symphonic Metal was still being labelled as Gothic Metal, and in the albums that the band have released since, they’ve pushed their Symphonic, Progressive and Operatic elements to varying degrees depending on the direction of the album in question. 2024 brings us their seventh album and another slight shift in the band’s musical direction, whist still keeping things interesting. Showcasing right from the start of their career the impressive vocals of Helena Iren Michaelsen, her voice is still a main focal point for Imperia.
But this time around, although her striking vocal prowess is still plenty in evidence, there also seems to be an urge to use the desired vocal style that suits the song the best, rather than throw in operatics etc. at any opportunity. Aside from helping to make each track stand out from its neighbour, this really highlights the credibility of her songwriting in partnership with founding guitarist Jan “Örkki” Yrlund. Also an integral part of Imperia’s line-up is bassist Gerry Verstreken, an original member who’s also been on every release. In fact the only person in the current line-up not to have been there from the start is drummer Merijn Mol, who replaced long-term drummer Steve Wolz on 2021’s ‘The Last Horizon’, and is a previous bandmate of Yrlund’s from Satyrian and Danse Macabre.
That aforementioned focus on the songs is what really stands out on this album, as opposed to previous releases. I’ve sometimes found Imperia to be a bit too keen to show how talented they are, sometimes at the detriment of an album, but there are some great, memorable, stand-out songs on this album. Songs that ironically leave the listener in no doubt as to how talented the people involved are. Yes, Michaelsen is still able to show off her considerable abilities, whether it’s playing up the theatrical on ‘Void Of Emptiness’, or displaying a propensity for harsh grunts on ‘Soldiers Of Hell’, you are left in no doubt that she is a very adept vocalist indeed. But alongside this you have a more immediate track like the fabulously catchy and instantly memorable ‘Reach My Tears’, with its slight hint of folk and attention grabbing melodies.
An additional mention has to go to ex-Everon man Oliver Philipps for his sparkling orchestration and keyboards that give the arrangements that extra polish and finishing touches. And of course the album is resplendent with Yrland’s wonderful artwork, a talent that so many other bands have benefited from over the years. I do believe that this is Imperia’s best album to date, pushing to the fore a maturity and songwriting ability that could sometimes get distracted from in the past. There are still all the elements of Gothic-tinged Progressive Symphonic Metal which the band were always known for, but this time more honed and focused into some excellent songwriting.
(8/10 Andy Barker)
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