#nightwish — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.europesays.com/fi/356511/ Brittimedia: Tuomas Holopainen ei pidä ketään Nightwishin jäsentä korvaamattomana: ”On riittävästi todistusaineistoa” | Savo #Entertainment #FI #Finland #Finnish #kulttuuri #Musiikki #Nightwish #Suomi #viihde

https://www.europesays.com/ie/699506/ Valkyrie’s Fire – Out of Darkness Review #2026 #30 #AmericanMetal #DiabloSwingOrchestra #EclipseRecords #Éire #Entertainment #IE #Ireland #Music #Nightwish #OutOfDarkness #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #Rhapsody #Sep26 #SymphonicMetal #SymphonicPowerMetal #Valkyrie'sFire

Most of my AMG time recently has gone to tech issues 1, but I’ve been wanting to write again. Valkyrie’s Fire’s debut Out of Darkness lured me back with a Nightwish namedrop, which is a dangerous promise, for all that it sounds enticing. In principle, I’m a big fan of power metal, symphonic metal, and indeed symphonic power metal. Alas, as I wrote in my section of the Nightwish ranking, symphonic metal is plagued by terrible, boring bands. It’s much easier to ape the style than it is to write great songs. I don’t know why this is such a problem for this genre in particular, but it doesn’t need to be this way, and so hope springs eternal.

Valkyrie’s Fire avoid this problem on two axes. First, Out of Darkness isn’t actually that beholden to Nightwish tropes, with the possible exception of “Skylark.”2 Yes, they do the duet vocal thing a lot and one of them is a soprano. But the core style they establish early on (“Evermore,” “Valkyrie’s Fire,” etc.) reminds me a lot more of Rhapsody’s many iterations, replete with neoclassical twiddling. Second, and more importantly, this is good actually. It’s fun in a way that doesn’t feel forced. The songs are well-written and memorable. They experiment with a variety of genre embellishments. Some songs have a core-y twist that evokes a little Avenged Sevenfold (meant positively!—”Burning Sky,” “I Will Rise Again”). Others use cello and acoustic guitar to add a folky feel (“Bone and Thorn”), or more delicate piano (“Shattered,” “I see the Angels Fly”). This keeps things fresh and stops any one song sounding too much like all the others.

There is one classic symphonic metal trap Valkyrie’s Fire do fall solidly into, though: a regrettable inability to edit. Out of Darkness is over 70 minutes long, and it really doesn’t need to be. By track twelve, my attention span is definitely strained, and there are still fifteen minutes left of the record. With tighter editing, there’d be a punchy 45-minute album here. I get that it’s hard, as none of the tracks here are total clangers. I probably wouldn’t miss “Valkyrie’s Fire” or “Nocturne,” and many others could use editing down (“Bone and Thorn” is a pretty folk piece but doesn’t need to be seven minutes, “Cascade” could shed a couple of minutes, ten-minute closer “I Will Rise Again” gets a bit too theatrical). This isn’t universal—”Dark Moon” is nearly seven minutes but carries its length well, “Burning Sky” is a neat four—but it does affect most of the record.

I’ve mentioned before being drawn to well-performed duet vocals, and Valkyrie’s Fire are excellent here, with Bettie Floyd on soprano and Adam Sanders on baritone. The vocal melody writing is really good. They use alternating phrases, harmonies, and counterpoint to great effect. This works particularly well combined with Salem Belladonna’s piano and cello on the Clair Obscur-via-doom-metal “Shattered,” where Floyd is at her best. Her range spans from the symphonic metal standard soprano to a poppy tone that reminds me a little of Diablo Swing Orchestra’s current vocalist (“Labyrinth”). There’s one or two bits of vocal direction I don’t quite get on with (just a couple of phrases in “Evermore” and “Valkyrie’s Fire”), but it’s a very minor blip.

I’m really pleasantly surprised by Out of Darkness. My genre cynicism was mostly unfounded. I often find the mark of a good record is finding lots of bits of it slipping into my head when I’m doing other things (versus having one line going irritatingly round and round). Out of Darkness has done that. Most years, there’s at least one record that reminds me I still love symphonic/power metal. This is very nearly that record for 2026, but the marathon length just adds a tiny bit too much mental effort to listening to it. If Valkyrie’s Fire can kill their darlings next time around, I’m sold.

Rating: Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Eclipse Records
Websites: valkyriesfire.com | facebook.com/valkyriesfireofficial
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

Most of my AMG time recently has gone to tech issues 1, but I’ve been wanting to write again. Valkyrie’s Fire’s debut Out of Darkness lured me back with a Nightwish namedrop, which is a dangerous promise, for all that it sounds enticing. In principle, I’m a big fan of power metal, symphonic metal, and indeed symphonic power metal. Alas, as I wrote in my section of the Nightwish ranking, symphonic metal is plagued by terrible, boring bands. It’s much easier to ape the style than it is to write great songs. I don’t know why this is such a problem for this genre in particular, but it doesn’t need to be this way, and so hope springs eternal.

Valkyrie’s Fire avoid this problem on two axes. First, Out of Darkness isn’t actually that beholden to Nightwish tropes, with the possible exception of “Skylark.”2 Yes, they do the duet vocal thing a lot and one of them is a soprano. But the core style they establish early on (“Evermore,” “Valkyrie’s Fire,” etc.) reminds me a lot more of Rhapsody’s many iterations, replete with neoclassical twiddling. Second, and more importantly, this is good actually. It’s fun in a way that doesn’t feel forced. The songs are well-written and memorable. They experiment with a variety of genre embellishments. Some songs have a core-y twist that evokes a little Avenged Sevenfold (meant positively!—”Burning Sky,” “I Will Rise Again”). Others use cello and acoustic guitar to add a folky feel (“Bone and Thorn”), or more delicate piano (“Shattered,” “I see the Angels Fly”). This keeps things fresh and stops any one song sounding too much like all the others.

There is one classic symphonic metal trap Valkyrie’s Fire do fall solidly into, though: a regrettable inability to edit. Out of Darkness is over 70 minutes long, and it really doesn’t need to be. By track twelve, my attention span is definitely strained, and there are still fifteen minutes left of the record. With tighter editing, there’d be a punchy 45-minute album here. I get that it’s hard, as none of the tracks here are total clangers. I probably wouldn’t miss “Valkyrie’s Fire” or “Nocturne,” and many others could use editing down (“Bone and Thorn” is a pretty folk piece but doesn’t need to be seven minutes, “Cascade” could shed a couple of minutes, ten-minute closer “I Will Rise Again” gets a bit too theatrical). This isn’t universal—”Dark Moon” is nearly seven minutes but carries its length well, “Burning Sky” is a neat four—but it does affect most of the record.

I’ve mentioned before being drawn to well-performed duet vocals, and Valkyrie’s Fire are excellent here, with Bettie Floyd on soprano and Adam Sanders on baritone. The vocal melody writing is really good. They use alternating phrases, harmonies, and counterpoint to great effect. This works particularly well combined with Salem Belladonna’s piano and cello on the Clair Obscur-via-doom-metal “Shattered,” where Floyd is at her best. Her range spans from the symphonic metal standard soprano to a poppy tone that reminds me a little of Diablo Swing Orchestra’s current vocalist (“Labyrinth”). There’s one or two bits of vocal direction I don’t quite get on with (just a couple of phrases in “Evermore” and “Valkyrie’s Fire”), but it’s a very minor blip.

I’m really pleasantly surprised by Out of Darkness. My genre cynicism was mostly unfounded. I often find the mark of a good record is finding lots of bits of it slipping into my head when I’m doing other things (versus having one line going irritatingly round and round). Out of Darkness has done that. Most years, there’s at least one record that reminds me I still love symphonic/power metal. This is very nearly that record for 2026, but the marathon length just adds a tiny bit too much mental effort to listening to it. If Valkyrie’s Fire can kill their darlings next time around, I’m sold.

Rating: Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Eclipse Records
Websites: valkyriesfire.com | facebook.com/valkyriesfireofficial
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

Most of my AMG time recently has gone to tech issues 1, but I’ve been wanting to write again. Valkyrie’s Fire’s debut Out of Darkness lured me back with a Nightwish namedrop, which is a dangerous promise, for all that it sounds enticing. In principle, I’m a big fan of power metal, symphonic metal, and indeed symphonic power metal. Alas, as I wrote in my section of the Nightwish ranking, symphonic metal is plagued by terrible, boring bands. It’s much easier to ape the style than it is to write great songs. I don’t know why this is such a problem for this genre in particular, but it doesn’t need to be this way, and so hope springs eternal.

Valkyrie’s Fire avoid this problem on two axes. First, Out of Darkness isn’t actually that beholden to Nightwish tropes, with the possible exception of “Skylark.”2 Yes, they do the duet vocal thing a lot and one of them is a soprano. But the core style they establish early on (“Evermore,” “Valkyrie’s Fire,” etc.) reminds me a lot more of Rhapsody’s many iterations, replete with neoclassical twiddling. Second, and more importantly, this is good actually. It’s fun in a way that doesn’t feel forced. The songs are well-written and memorable. They experiment with a variety of genre embellishments. Some songs have a core-y twist that evokes a little Avenged Sevenfold (meant positively!—”Burning Sky,” “I Will Rise Again”). Others use cello and acoustic guitar to add a folky feel (“Bone and Thorn”), or more delicate piano (“Shattered,” “I see the Angels Fly”). This keeps things fresh and stops any one song sounding too much like all the others.

There is one classic symphonic metal trap Valkyrie’s Fire do fall solidly into, though: a regrettable inability to edit. Out of Darkness is over 70 minutes long, and it really doesn’t need to be. By track twelve, my attention span is definitely strained, and there are still fifteen minutes left of the record. With tighter editing, there’d be a punchy 45-minute album here. I get that it’s hard, as none of the tracks here are total clangers. I probably wouldn’t miss “Valkyrie’s Fire” or “Nocturne,” and many others could use editing down (“Bone and Thorn” is a pretty folk piece but doesn’t need to be seven minutes, “Cascade” could shed a couple of minutes, ten-minute closer “I Will Rise Again” gets a bit too theatrical). This isn’t universal—”Dark Moon” is nearly seven minutes but carries its length well, “Burning Sky” is a neat four—but it does affect most of the record.

I’ve mentioned before being drawn to well-performed duet vocals, and Valkyrie’s Fire are excellent here, with Bettie Floyd on soprano and Adam Sanders on baritone. The vocal melody writing is really good. They use alternating phrases, harmonies, and counterpoint to great effect. This works particularly well combined with Salem Belladonna’s piano and cello on the Clair Obscur-via-doom-metal “Shattered,” where Floyd is at her best. Her range spans from the symphonic metal standard soprano to a poppy tone that reminds me a little of Diablo Swing Orchestra’s current vocalist (“Labyrinth”). There’s one or two bits of vocal direction I don’t quite get on with (just a couple of phrases in “Evermore” and “Valkyrie’s Fire”), but it’s a very minor blip.

I’m really pleasantly surprised by Out of Darkness. My genre cynicism was mostly unfounded. I often find the mark of a good record is finding lots of bits of it slipping into my head when I’m doing other things (versus having one line going irritatingly round and round). Out of Darkness has done that. Most years, there’s at least one record that reminds me I still love symphonic/power metal. This is very nearly that record for 2026, but the marathon length just adds a tiny bit too much mental effort to listening to it. If Valkyrie’s Fire can kill their darlings next time around, I’m sold.

Rating: Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Eclipse Records
Websites: valkyriesfire.com | facebook.com/valkyriesfireofficial
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

Most of my AMG time recently has gone to tech issues 1, but I’ve been wanting to write again. Valkyrie’s Fire’s debut Out of Darkness lured me back with a Nightwish namedrop, which is a dangerous promise, for all that it sounds enticing. In principle, I’m a big fan of power metal, symphonic metal, and indeed symphonic power metal. Alas, as I wrote in my section of the Nightwish ranking, symphonic metal is plagued by terrible, boring bands. It’s much easier to ape the style than it is to write great songs. I don’t know why this is such a problem for this genre in particular, but it doesn’t need to be this way, and so hope springs eternal.

Valkyrie’s Fire avoid this problem on two axes. First, Out of Darkness isn’t actually that beholden to Nightwish tropes, with the possible exception of “Skylark.”2 Yes, they do the duet vocal thing a lot and one of them is a soprano. But the core style they establish early on (“Evermore,” “Valkyrie’s Fire,” etc.) reminds me a lot more of Rhapsody’s many iterations, replete with neoclassical twiddling. Second, and more importantly, this is good actually. It’s fun in a way that doesn’t feel forced. The songs are well-written and memorable. They experiment with a variety of genre embellishments. Some songs have a core-y twist that evokes a little Avenged Sevenfold (meant positively!—”Burning Sky,” “I Will Rise Again”). Others use cello and acoustic guitar to add a folky feel (“Bone and Thorn”), or more delicate piano (“Shattered,” “I see the Angels Fly”). This keeps things fresh and stops any one song sounding too much like all the others.

There is one classic symphonic metal trap Valkyrie’s Fire do fall solidly into, though: a regrettable inability to edit. Out of Darkness is over 70 minutes long, and it really doesn’t need to be. By track twelve, my attention span is definitely strained, and there are still fifteen minutes left of the record. With tighter editing, there’d be a punchy 45-minute album here. I get that it’s hard, as none of the tracks here are total clangers. I probably wouldn’t miss “Valkyrie’s Fire” or “Nocturne,” and many others could use editing down (“Bone and Thorn” is a pretty folk piece but doesn’t need to be seven minutes, “Cascade” could shed a couple of minutes, ten-minute closer “I Will Rise Again” gets a bit too theatrical). This isn’t universal—”Dark Moon” is nearly seven minutes but carries its length well, “Burning Sky” is a neat four—but it does affect most of the record.

I’ve mentioned before being drawn to well-performed duet vocals, and Valkyrie’s Fire are excellent here, with Bettie Floyd on soprano and Adam Sanders on baritone. The vocal melody writing is really good. They use alternating phrases, harmonies, and counterpoint to great effect. This works particularly well combined with Salem Belladonna’s piano and cello on the Clair Obscur-via-doom-metal “Shattered,” where Floyd is at her best. Her range spans from the symphonic metal standard soprano to a poppy tone that reminds me a little of Diablo Swing Orchestra’s current vocalist (“Labyrinth”). There’s one or two bits of vocal direction I don’t quite get on with (just a couple of phrases in “Evermore” and “Valkyrie’s Fire”), but it’s a very minor blip.

I’m really pleasantly surprised by Out of Darkness. My genre cynicism was mostly unfounded. I often find the mark of a good record is finding lots of bits of it slipping into my head when I’m doing other things (versus having one line going irritatingly round and round). Out of Darkness has done that. Most years, there’s at least one record that reminds me I still love symphonic/power metal. This is very nearly that record for 2026, but the marathon length just adds a tiny bit too much mental effort to listening to it. If Valkyrie’s Fire can kill their darlings next time around, I’m sold.

Rating: Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Eclipse Records
Websites: valkyriesfire.com | facebook.com/valkyriesfireofficial
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

Most of my AMG time recently has gone to tech issues 1, but I’ve been wanting to write again. Valkyrie’s Fire’s debut Out of Darkness lured me back with a Nightwish namedrop, which is a dangerous promise, for all that it sounds enticing. In principle, I’m a big fan of power metal, symphonic metal, and indeed symphonic power metal. Alas, as I wrote in my section of the Nightwish ranking, symphonic metal is plagued by terrible, boring bands. It’s much easier to ape the style than it is to write great songs. I don’t know why this is such a problem for this genre in particular, but it doesn’t need to be this way, and so hope springs eternal.

Valkyrie’s Fire avoid this problem on two axes. First, Out of Darkness isn’t actually that beholden to Nightwish tropes, with the possible exception of “Skylark.”2 Yes, they do the duet vocal thing a lot and one of them is a soprano. But the core style they establish early on (“Evermore,” “Valkyrie’s Fire,” etc.) reminds me a lot more of Rhapsody’s many iterations, replete with neoclassical twiddling. Second, and more importantly, this is good actually. It’s fun in a way that doesn’t feel forced. The songs are well-written and memorable. They experiment with a variety of genre embellishments. Some songs have a core-y twist that evokes a little Avenged Sevenfold (meant positively!—”Burning Sky,” “I Will Rise Again”). Others use cello and acoustic guitar to add a folky feel (“Bone and Thorn”), or more delicate piano (“Shattered,” “I see the Angels Fly”). This keeps things fresh and stops any one song sounding too much like all the others.

There is one classic symphonic metal trap Valkyrie’s Fire do fall solidly into, though: a regrettable inability to edit. Out of Darkness is over 70 minutes long, and it really doesn’t need to be. By track twelve, my attention span is definitely strained, and there are still fifteen minutes left of the record. With tighter editing, there’d be a punchy 45-minute album here. I get that it’s hard, as none of the tracks here are total clangers. I probably wouldn’t miss “Valkyrie’s Fire” or “Nocturne,” and many others could use editing down (“Bone and Thorn” is a pretty folk piece but doesn’t need to be seven minutes, “Cascade” could shed a couple of minutes, ten-minute closer “I Will Rise Again” gets a bit too theatrical). This isn’t universal—”Dark Moon” is nearly seven minutes but carries its length well, “Burning Sky” is a neat four—but it does affect most of the record.

I’ve mentioned before being drawn to well-performed duet vocals, and Valkyrie’s Fire are excellent here, with Bettie Floyd on soprano and Adam Sanders on baritone. The vocal melody writing is really good. They use alternating phrases, harmonies, and counterpoint to great effect. This works particularly well combined with Salem Belladonna’s piano and cello on the Clair Obscur-via-doom-metal “Shattered,” where Floyd is at her best. Her range spans from the symphonic metal standard soprano to a poppy tone that reminds me a little of Diablo Swing Orchestra’s current vocalist (“Labyrinth”). There’s one or two bits of vocal direction I don’t quite get on with (just a couple of phrases in “Evermore” and “Valkyrie’s Fire”), but it’s a very minor blip.

I’m really pleasantly surprised by Out of Darkness. My genre cynicism was mostly unfounded. I often find the mark of a good record is finding lots of bits of it slipping into my head when I’m doing other things (versus having one line going irritatingly round and round). Out of Darkness has done that. Most years, there’s at least one record that reminds me I still love symphonic/power metal. This is very nearly that record for 2026, but the marathon length just adds a tiny bit too much mental effort to listening to it. If Valkyrie’s Fire can kill their darlings next time around, I’m sold.

Rating: Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Eclipse Records
Websites: valkyriesfire.com | facebook.com/valkyriesfireofficial
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

Imperia – Dark Paradise Review

By GardensTale

You all know this is corsetcore. You saw the computer-generated snake and apple, read the album title. The only thing that could make it more obvious would be the heavily airbrushed and photoshopped vocalist in Victorian dress. Alas, you’ll have to make do with a woman who’s been turned into a tree instead. Imperia is not a household name like Nightwish, but don’t count them out just yet. Helena Iren Michaelsen helped found both Epica and Trail of Tears, and has been hammering at the road with this particular outfit for 2 decades, with Dark Paradise the 7th attempt to claim the spotlight. Dear Doom in his probationary period did not approve of their prior output,1 so does the new one fair better?

Well… Somewhat. In my experience with corsetcore, the genre itself is not usually the problem. A nu-metal band would have to actively skirt the archetypes of the genre to be any good. Corsetcore, on the other hand, could easily take a similar position as power metal, a lighthearted, grand, and fun experience with a lot of room for variety and identity. Its purveyors just seem to stumble on a wide variety of obvious obstacles, over and over and over again. Grating electronics awkwardly crammed into the composition? “Better Place” starts the album with them and “Reflection” kills its verses with them. Mawkish balladry? The album finishes with not one but two, of which “Lost Souls” is the grandstanding variety and “The Demons’ Fireplace” the small and melancholic. The lead vocals suddenly adopting the voice of Snow White’s evil stepmother in her old crone disguise while still singing opera? I must admit, that one was new, but “Void of Emptiness” takes a hard right into unintentional comedy with it.

But amongst everything embarrassing, there’s a lot of decent material. When Michaelsen eschews the opera, her voice is strong, warm and clear, and the songwriting has plenty of solid hooks, both vocal and instrumental. “Better Place” has a rousing chorus that makes it easier to forget the misplaced synth beep-boops, and “Soldiers of Hell” uses MENA scales and actual growls to paint an effective picture of an army marching through the desert. “Reach My Tears” is probably the strongest track here though, with an infectious tin whistle melody that recalls the better works of Eluveitie. Whereas Doom complained about Imperia’s lack of restraint with its orchestrations, Dark Paradise is a more balanced affair, where the guitars get to do more than dull background chuggery and the canned symphonics don’t blow everything else out of the water.

And yet, the overall impression I walk away with is ‘messy.’ Variety is the spice of life, but Imperia doesn’t seem to know when to use which spice. When Michaelsen does employ her operatic vocals, it feels arbitrary more often than not. From awkward mismatches between phrasing and meter to perfunctory instrumentation that distracts and detracts from the flow, Imperia leaves few opportunities to throw a wrench in its own works. Even the better tracks aren’t free from this over-embellishment; enjoying “Reach My Tears” to its fullest requires ignoring a hard tonal clash in the pre-chorus when the vocals go from melodious build-up to a poorly contrasted yell before slipping back into harmonization.

It’s frustrating because all the elements are here for Imperia to make a really solid symphonic power metal album. Michaelsen has an excellent voice, the stronger compositions have some solid, banging choruses, and there’s plenty of variation and imaginative songwriting. Even the production is a step up from the average of its contemporaries, who frequently crush the orchestra to glue. When this band’s on fire, it has the potential to join the top of the genre. But with 100 toys at their disposal, Imperia feels the need to use at least 99 of them, whether well-advised or not. Dark Paradise is a lurching journey with many bumps along the road, and by the end, my stomach feels more shaken than my heart does stirred. But if you have a soft spot for this stuff, do give it a whirl, because you’re sure to pick up a few tracks for your NightWithinEpiDelAranthe playlist.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: imperiaband.com | facebook.com/imperiaband
Releases Worldwide: July 26th, 2024

#20 #2024 #DarkParadise #Eluveitie #Epica #Imperia #InternationalMetal #Jul24 #MassacreRecords #Nightwish #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SymphonicMetal #TrailOfTears

Imperia – Dark Paradise Review

By GardensTale

You all know this is corsetcore. You saw the computer-generated snake and apple, read the album title. The only thing that could make it more obvious would be the heavily airbrushed and photoshopped vocalist in Victorian dress. Alas, you’ll have to make do with a woman who’s been turned into a tree instead. Imperia is not a household name like Nightwish, but don’t count them out just yet. Helena Iren Michaelsen helped found both Epica and Trail of Tears, and has been hammering at the road with this particular outfit for 2 decades, with Dark Paradise the 7th attempt to claim the spotlight. Dear Doom in his probationary period did not approve of their prior output,1 so does the new one fair better?

Well… Somewhat. In my experience with corsetcore, the genre itself is not usually the problem. A nu-metal band would have to actively skirt the archetypes of the genre to be any good. Corsetcore, on the other hand, could easily take a similar position as power metal, a lighthearted, grand, and fun experience with a lot of room for variety and identity. Its purveyors just seem to stumble on a wide variety of obvious obstacles, over and over and over again. Grating electronics awkwardly crammed into the composition? “Better Place” starts the album with them and “Reflection” kills its verses with them. Mawkish balladry? The album finishes with not one but two, of which “Lost Souls” is the grandstanding variety and “The Demons’ Fireplace” the small and melancholic. The lead vocals suddenly adopting the voice of Snow White’s evil stepmother in her old crone disguise while still singing opera? I must admit, that one was new, but “Void of Emptiness” takes a hard right into unintentional comedy with it.

But amongst everything embarrassing, there’s a lot of decent material. When Michaelsen eschews the opera, her voice is strong, warm and clear, and the songwriting has plenty of solid hooks, both vocal and instrumental. “Better Place” has a rousing chorus that makes it easier to forget the misplaced synth beep-boops, and “Soldiers of Hell” uses MENA scales and actual growls to paint an effective picture of an army marching through the desert. “Reach My Tears” is probably the strongest track here though, with an infectious tin whistle melody that recalls the better works of Eluveitie. Whereas Doom complained about Imperia’s lack of restraint with its orchestrations, Dark Paradise is a more balanced affair, where the guitars get to do more than dull background chuggery and the canned symphonics don’t blow everything else out of the water.

And yet, the overall impression I walk away with is ‘messy.’ Variety is the spice of life, but Imperia doesn’t seem to know when to use which spice. When Michaelsen does employ her operatic vocals, it feels arbitrary more often than not. From awkward mismatches between phrasing and meter to perfunctory instrumentation that distracts and detracts from the flow, Imperia leaves few opportunities to throw a wrench in its own works. Even the better tracks aren’t free from this over-embellishment; enjoying “Reach My Tears” to its fullest requires ignoring a hard tonal clash in the pre-chorus when the vocals go from melodious build-up to a poorly contrasted yell before slipping back into harmonization.

It’s frustrating because all the elements are here for Imperia to make a really solid symphonic power metal album. Michaelsen has an excellent voice, the stronger compositions have some solid, banging choruses, and there’s plenty of variation and imaginative songwriting. Even the production is a step up from the average of its contemporaries, who frequently crush the orchestra to glue. When this band’s on fire, it has the potential to join the top of the genre. But with 100 toys at their disposal, Imperia feels the need to use at least 99 of them, whether well-advised or not. Dark Paradise is a lurching journey with many bumps along the road, and by the end, my stomach feels more shaken than my heart does stirred. But if you have a soft spot for this stuff, do give it a whirl, because you’re sure to pick up a few tracks for your NightWithinEpiDelAranthe playlist.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: imperiaband.com | facebook.com/imperiaband
Releases Worldwide: July 26th, 2024

#20 #2024 #DarkParadise #Eluveitie #Epica #Imperia #InternationalMetal #Jul24 #MassacreRecords #Nightwish #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SymphonicMetal #TrailOfTears