IMPERIA hailing from The Netherlands were formed in 2003. They are a symphonic Metal band, and “Dark Paradise” is their seventh full-length album. It has a length of about 49 minutes. The album was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (ARCH ENEMY; DELAIN; DESTRUCTION). It was released via German Death, Power, and Heavy Metal specialists Massacre Records. The first song of the album is “Better Place”, and it is a mid-tempo track with powerful and catchy guitar riffing and melodies. There are orchestral arrangements and electronic effects throughout the track, where the arrangements are mostly in the background. The vocals are clean and are mostly around the medium end of the vocal range with some tonal shifts towards higher notes. “Better Place” is the official video release, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Reach My Tears” is a track at a measured pace where the melodies are Folk inspired at times. There are prominent orchestral arrangements driven by the strings. The vocals use many deeper notes with exception of the break, which has a quiet start with higher pitched, partially operatic notes. However, the quiet break quickly transitions into a heavy part with growling vocals added to the mix. The Folk vibes are at full swing in

“The Family Chain”, which starts with the violin transitioning into mid-tempo verse parts driven by the bass and the vocals. The vocals have choir support in the background. The chorus parts are thunderous as the guitars join in and the melodies are catchy. The Folk melodies are present throughout the track, but most notable at the beginning, the end, and during the break. The vocals of Helena Michaelsen are very versatile, ranging from being fragile to very powerful. “The Tree Of Life” is the album ballad. Starting with the piano and the strings, and then the vocals join in for the quiet verse part. The chorus part on the other hand develops into a Power ballad with thunderous guitar riffing. Highlight of the track are the vocals of Helena Michaelsen, who gives the track an extra dimension with her vocal range and ability to express herself. “The Tree Of Life” is one of the album highlights. “Reflection” is one of the heavier album tracks. Driven by powerful riffing at a measured tempo and prominent orchestral arrangements, the melodies are dark, and Helena Michaelsen uses predominantly her deeper notes. Highlight of the track is the extended and very contributing lead guitar solo. “Soldiers Of Hell” starts with a short orientally inspired pre-lude defining the melodic framework of the track. The track is mainly driven by the orchestral arrangements, the punishing riffs, and the vocals ranging from deep lying growls to a few highly pitched operatic notes. It is arguably the heaviest track of the album with a punishing break leading to the lead guitar solo. It is another one of my favourite album songs. “Voids Of Emptiness” is a track at a measured tempo with catchy melodies and almost anthemic chorus parts. The song cannot quite keep up with most album tracks, however, the vocal contribution of Helena Michaelsen with the versatility of her voice saves the track a bit.

“Hope Of Joy” is one of the lighter album songs. It is a bit of a sing-along track with catchy melodies at a measured tempo. Highlight is the break with the operatic vocals and the contributing lead guitar solo being ear-catching. “Lost Souls” is the second ballad-esque album song. Driven by the strings and the piano, Helena Michaelsen has another opportunity to shine, and she grabs it with both hands. The vocals are a smart mixture of operatic and Rock oriented parts. Due to the vocal contribution, the slow songs are among the album highlights and “Lost Souls” does not make an exception. It is with more than six minutes, the longest album track. As the album goes on, Helena Michaelsen takes more and more the center stage and that is a good thing. “The Demon’s Fireplace” is the song written for the vocalist with the piano and the strings accompanying her. It is a very strong finale of the album, highlighting the fact that Helena Michaelsen vocal skillset raises the level of the album by a great margin.

Despite the fact that IMPERIA are part of the symphonic Metal scene for more than 20 years, they always seemed to be a bit under the radar compared to other bands. Their seventh album “Dark Paradise” might illustrate why this is a case. In principle the album is decent, but it misses the spark, the highlight. There are only a couple of songs that stick into my mind, and they are all connected to vocalist Helena Michaelsen, who is the standout performer on every song. She is in a league of her own. The album is well produced. Fans of IMPERIA might like what they hear, but is “Dark Paradise” an album to be remembered for years? Probably not.