IMPERIA – Dark Paradise (2024) *HQ*

IMPERIA‘s new album “Dark Paradise” stands as a testament to their evolution and enduring commitment to their unique sound, which is seamlessly blending symphonic and hard rock elements into a unified musical experience.
Since emerging in 2004, 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 now the operatic side is relegated to some passages only, with the singer doing a ‘rock’ performance, and the songs turn more robust with the addition of sharper guitars and heavy electronics into the mix.

This time around, although Helena 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.

That aforementioned focus on the ‘song format’ 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.
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 hard rock groove on other numbers, 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 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 Progressive Symphonic Metal which the band were always known for, but this time more honed and focused into some excellent songwriting.
Highly Recommended

01 – Better Place
02 – Reach My Tears
03 – The Family Chain
04 – The Tree Of Life
05 – Reflection
06 – Soldiers Of Hell
07 – Void Of Emptiness
08 – Hope Of Joy
09 – Lost Souls
10 – The Demons’ Fireplace

Helena Iren Michaelsen (vocals)
Jan Örkki Yrlund (guitar)
Gerry Verstreken (bass)
Merijn Mol (drums)
Oliver Philipps (keyboards)

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www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Paradise-Imperia/dp/B0D3WM26QT