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Imperial
This Grave Is My Poem
2005, Pluto Records
Talk about second impressions. The first time I listened to Imperial, it was easy, for whatever reasons, to dismiss them as Remembering Never knockoffs - just one extended breakdown after another for this twenty-minute EP.
I have no idea what I was thinking a few months ago.
I‘m not gonna go on record saying that Imperial are reinventing metal and hardcore as we know it, not that they want to. No, this six-man wrecking crew from Florida simply wanna rock - and oh, do they rock. Yes, initially Remembering Never pops to mind, but unlike that Florida band, Imperial vary the breakdowns and pacing, interspersing pretty melodic arrangements here and there, making for an interesting sound throughout. The dual vocalists mean business, alternating (as expected nowadays) between a mid-range scream and guttural, bellowing low growl, and it‘s a dangerous experiment to go with two vocalists if they aren‘t up to par, but Imperial have it covered. The raw-around-the-edges production (courtesy of Jeremy Staska, of early Poison the Well fame) leaves the guitars with a raw, satisfying bite, and they‘re used well; Imperial truly combine metal and hardcore, whether it‘s more core (‘Pain and Perfection‘) or charging out of the gate with As I Lay Dying-style shredding (‘Washed Upon A Nameless Shore‘).
This EP isn‘t flawless, but it shows great promise, and with the band recently playing their first show with a revamped lineup, here‘s hoping they stick around.
- Mike Postma
Copyright 2005