Four years is the cruising speed of Imperia album releases because, after 'Tears Of Silence' in 2015 (see here), 'Flames of Eternity' is the fifth album since 2004. The band of the front woman 'Helena Iren Michaelsen' continues to offer us melodic and refined symphonic metal mixing power and serenity which is their trademark from the beginning. From the first title, 'The Scarred Soul', the fans are not disoriented with this mid-tempo mixing electric instruments and orchestra and which varies in intensity between the verses and the chorus. With 'Fear Is an Illusion' and 'Unspoken Words', the rhythm accelerates to offer on the one hand growls responding to the song of Helena', and on the other hand, a melody which immediately returns you in the head and that should be well welcomed in concert. The following alternates energy and melancholy, with the rise of the slow tempo of 'Book Of Love' where Helena shows once again at the end of the title all her talents as a soprano, then, the fast 'Blinded' that certainly would not been disavow by 'Tarja', the beautiful melancholy ballad 'Invisible Tears' with very beautiful arrangements that can recall the atmosphere of 'Spirit Chase' or 'Broken Wings' from previous albums, 'Otherside' mixing power and melancholy enhanced by a magnificent solo of violin, the beautiful 'Beauty Within' with folk intonations and a beautiful duet of Helena with the singer 'Oliver Philipps' of Everon' who had participated in the project 'Phantasma' (see here), the album ending with the energetic 'My Guardian Angel', 'The Ocean' with oriental intonations, the very s tripped and beautiful piano/voice ballad 'A Crying Heart', as 'Lanvall' and 'Sabine Edelsbacher' had done in the 'Voiciano' project (see here) and an equally neat cover of 'Mother' from the album 'A Woman Diary Chapter 1' from Helena's second project 'Angel' (see here). In summary, 'Flames of Eternity' confirms all the talent of this group that knows how to vary the atmosphere between power and serenity and which represents for me the accessible side of a melodic and elegant symphonic metal... | |
