IMPERIAL AGE, this band from Russia is indeed different, and has always been my highlight in their album journey to date. The character of the music combines metal music, classical orchestra and sings operatically with three singers (tenor, mezzo-soprano, soprano) and is packaged with the Atlantis theme to produce a very unique output. This year 2022, on August 27 2022 to be precise they released their third album “New World” which had experienced problems due to various things including the Covid-19 storm to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Which in the end made all the plans fall apart forcing them to move to Turkey.
The album “New World” begins with a song with a magnificent orchestra “Windborn” with a tempo that is not too fast but I can feel an optimistic feel in this song with a catchy melody in the solo section and a magnificent and epic chorus. The second track “Legend Of The Free” which is their second single for this album, this song is described as a happy heavy metal anthem with a strong orchestra and heavy guitar rhythms mixed with a majestic choir that is sure to make us nod our heads and stomp our feet. while listening to it.
Moving on to the third song “The Way Is The Aim” beginning with a heavy guitar rhythm and a light keyboard melody, a mid-tempo song with a heroic chorus and light melodies combined with a happy guitar rhythm that makes me dance along to the melody. . “To the Edge of the Known” when I first heard this song, it felt like returning to the era of the album “The Legacy of Atlantis” with a little renewal. In this song, the duets of the three singers Alexander Osipov (tenor), Jane “Corn” Odintsova (mezzo-soprano), Anna “KiaRa” Moiseeva (soprano) are very dynamic and with the right portion and blend with the melodies of the music.
The fifth song “The Wheel” which is their third single, a song with a higher tempo that immediately starts with a catchy melody or in short I remember typical songs like “I Wan Out” or “Future World” by HELLOWEEN or even the song “Send Me A Sign” by GAMMA RAY. But IMPERIAL AGE packs with style and signature their strong musical aroma and taste.
A song that incorporates ethnic and folk elements combined with heavy guitar rhythms forms a song with the title “Shackles Of Gold“, this song still maintains the anthemic and elegant orchestra and chorus that characterizes IMPERIAL AGE. Followed by “Distance Shores” which begins with a serene symphony of violins and catchy guitar rhythms and a chorus as background sound. Dynamic duets between the three singers were again performed, the operatic atmosphere was felt in combination with a strong and optimistic voice guide.
The last song which is the longest song in the history of IMPERIAL AGE to date is “Call of the Towers” with a duration of more than 18 minutes, the keywords that describe this song are majestic and elegant. Starting with a theatrical feel, in this song Alexander’s voice feels more powerful to the point where he moves from a tenor to a baritone accompanied by a constant melody, Jane enters and sings with a metal symphonic character to make the musical feel change for a moment and is followed by a magnificent solo with a thumping drum. quickly then continued with the sound of the organ and the clanging of bells which made me remember several songs from KING DIAMOND and continued with the singer’s voice high and clear in a dramatic nuance, then the calm was swept for a moment by the orchestra and the drum beats were getting tighter and faster, and ended with Magnificent Singer’s Third Final Attack. This song ends very elegantly and fantastically.
Overall, the “New World” album is much better than the two previous albums “Turn the Sun Off!” which was released in 2012 and “The Legacy of Atlantis” which was released in 2018, both in terms of music composition and production output. For those of you who like power/heavy metal symphonic music, IMPERIAL AGE provides all of that. By adding an orchestra, a magnificent and elegant choir, with three tenors, a mezzo-soprano and a soprano, this makes the band rich in a wider variety of music but still has a strong character and distinctive taste.
Tracklist:
01. Windborn
02. Legend Of The Free
03. The Way Is The Aim
04. To The Edge Of The Known
05. The Wheel
06. Shackles Of Gold
07. Distant Shores
08. Call Of The Towers
Score:
Music: 8/10
Production: 8/10
Official Website: https://www.imperial-age.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imperialageofficial
