Imperia – Flames Of Eternity
Album Review By Rainer Kerber
Easter 2004 is the founding date of Imperia. All four current band members belonged to the original line-up. Only guitarist John Stamm left the band in 2010. This is a very remarkable stability in the lineup. Although the band has been playing together for 15 years, only four studio albums have been released so far. One cause may lie in the international occupation (Norway, Finland, Belgium, Germany). Now the fifth album will be released with “Flames Of Eternity”. The recordings took place throughout Europe. The artwork was again created by guitarist Jan Örkki Yrlund. I’ve been able to experience the band live, at the Metal Female Voices Fest 2013 in Belgium. In the autumn of this year I can meet the bad again, at the FemME in Hilvarenbeek (Netherlands).
And Imperia start with a great anthem. In “The Scarred Soul” the musicians already combine all the trademarks of the band. Here continues what you could already hear in the predecessor “Tears Of Silence“, the lower vocal part of Helena. Strings provide a good portion of epic. Of course, there is also enough metallic heavyness, especially through the use of Double Bass. “Fear Is An Illusion” is a bit harder. Thanks to the growls of the front lady herself, but also the guitars bang more here. Later, as a contrast, you can hear the enchanting soprano by Helena, accompanied by a beautiful guitar solo. Imperia is also rock ond with “Unspoken Words” before the first soulful ballad follows with “Book Of Love”. The contrast program continues. Opera soprano, banging guitars, driving drums, that’s how “Blinded” presents itself.
Piano, acoustic guitars and strings introduce the second ballad “Invisible Tears”. This one is also beautiful for dreaming. In addition, an awesome guitar solo in the middle. And the omnipresent bass provides powerful, that the song never sounds cheesy. Epic choruses and folkloric elements can be heard in the midtempo song “Otherside”, followed by the somewhat weaker ballad “Beauty Within”. After that, however, Imperia surprise with scattered Industrial sounds on “My Guardian Angel”. As in the predecessor, the musicians also experiment with oriental sounds, to be heard in “The Ocean”. With the two ballads “A Crying Heart” and “Mother” the album is coming to the end contemplative. In both, the singer is mainly accompanied by e-piano.
“Flames Of Eternity” is a worthy successor to “Tears Of Silence”. Especially the first half is outstanding. But then the musicians took a breath. A splash of color like “The Ocean” cannot hide that. Eventually Imperia should have renounced one or the other ballad, then quite one / two more points in the rating would have been possible. I am already looking forward to the performance in autumn.
IMPERIA – Fear Is An Illusion (Official Lyric Video): https://youtu.be/ysf3RtNZU_c
Lineup:
Helena Iren Michaelsen – Vocals
Jan Örkki Yrlund – Guitars
Gerry Verstreken – Bass
Steve Wolz – Drums
Label: Massacre Records
Out: February 22nd, 2019
Playing time: 58:56
Track list:
- The Scarred Soul
- Fear Is An Illusion
- Unspoken Words
- Book Of Love
- Blinded
- Invisible Tears
- Otherside
- Beauty Within
- My Guardian Angel
- The Ocean
- A Crying Heart
- Mother (Piano Version)
Rating : 8/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
