Metal is one of the greatest bearers of cultural themes on the lyrics. We can find themes that go from hollow satanic matter to epic ones. I believe that, in the moment that we are living throughout the world, to have culture is what spares the ones who think from the ones who just follow. One of the greatest inheritances that humankind has from the past is the work from the Greek writer Homer, the author of "the Iliad" and "the Odyssey". Many bands used Homer works as lyrical themes, but none of them as the German trio IMPERIOUS did, because they used two albums to tell the tale of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, return to his homeland. So now we have in our hands the first part, "Tales of Woe (The Journey of Odysseus, Part I - From Ilion to Hades)".

The trio focuses their energies to create a form of Epic extreme Metal, using elements from many extreme Metal genres, besides their music mainly resembles to a mix between Death and Black Metal. But there are acoustic moments with clean vocals as well, some piano parts and female voices, reinforcing the epic atmosphere of the album. But be prepared, because they can sound as heavy and aggressive as you can think. This same musical format was used many times before by other bands, but their personality turns everything interesting and very good. Raw is how the album sounds, what makes their music sounds heavy and aggressive. But it doesn't mean that you can't understand what is being played on the album, and this sonority fits on their musical work. This is what matters in the end of all.

The album is entirely very good, showing a band with potential to create something unique. But for now, songs as the raw "To Abjure Temptation" with its nasty and excellent guitars, "The Sharpened Pale" with its complex insight and very good keyboards parts and guttered voices, the long and epic "Insidious Winds" where male and female vocals make excellent contrasts and with a solid rhythmic work from bass guitar and drums, "Celestial Tunes of Moral Fraud" and its fine mix of melodic Black Metal influences with Epic Metal ones (showing a darkened atmosphere, with fine guitars), and the bitter and melancholic touch of "Where Cimmerian Darkness Dwells" are the ones that will conquer fans.

Without being something unique in this time, IMPERIOUS shows talent on "Tales of Woe (The Journey of Odysseus, Part I - From Ilion to Hades)".