Imperial Age - 2018 - The Legacy of Atlantis

(48:29; Imperial Age)

Track list:
1. The Awakening 5:25
2. The Legacy of Atlantis 6:19
3. The Monastery 4:16
4. Life Eternal 4:54
5. Domini Canes (March of the Holy Inquisition) 4:45
6. Love Eternal 6:15
7. The Escape 5:24
8. Islands in Time 6:10
9. And I Shall Find My Home 5:01

Line-up:
Alexander Osipov - vocals
Jane Odintsova - vocals
Anna Moiseeva - vocals
Thomas Vikstr¨m - vocals
Nalle Paahlsson - bass, guitars
Andrey Ishenko - drums
Christian Vidal - guitars
Paul Vredes - guitars
P. I. Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory Chamber Choir - vocals
with:
Sergey Lazar - guitars


UK based band Imperial Age started out back in 2012 in Russia, originally as more of a solo project with session musicians but later on developing into more of a proper band, at least for live purposes. They have four full length albums to their name as of 2023. "The Legacy of Atlantis" is the second of those, and was self released back in 2018.

It is clear from when the very first notes kicks off, following an initial cinematic opening, that symphonic metal is what we will get on this album. With the opening song on this album being the most bombastic and grandiose of the songs on this album as a whole. Big vocals, big backing vocals, big orchestral arrangements and a bit of a Wagnerian swagger comes into play here, in a dramatic and bombastic statement of intent.

As the album progress the songs become a bit more diversified in approach and execution. Typically we will alternate between galloping style old school power metal, more powerful and vibrant contemporary power metal and majestic symphonic metal on one hand and different variations of gentler and more atmospheric laden sequences on the other. Some songs focus a lot on the big backing vocal presence, that comes with something of a choir feel more often than not, on other occasions the different lead vocalists are brought more clearly into the limelight. Some songs will focus more on the orchestral backdrop and majestic arrangements, others will revolve more around vibrant or powerful guitars as a dominant instrument but with orchestral surges being a regular feature. Different incarnations of the ebb and flow type of momentum is generally used to good effect throughout, creating a logical and overall appealing dynamic. With a little bit of subtle folk music harmony flavoring that creates a coherent feel throughout the different landscapes explored.

This is an album that was six years in the making, and it is easy to hear that this is time that has been used to perfect and polish the material here. This is the kind of album where one would suspect that every second of every song has been scrutinized in order to make them as appealing as possible, and that a lot of time and effort have gone into the mix and production department following the recording sessions too. While I do not know what the budget for this album was, it sounds like a big budget production, and the kind of album you would expect to be released by a big or notable level rather than being self-released.

This is a solid production on all levels, where a lot of work has been done and a lot of tinkering has been applied to make the songs come across as impactful and compelling as possible. While the opening song is the only one I'd place in the magnificent category here, this is an album without any compositions that comes across as weak or superfluous. If you like symphonic metal, this is a solid and high quality production through and through that most certainly warrants an inspection.

Olav M. Björnsen, September 2023

Links:
https://imperial-age.com/