Saturday, February 20, 2016

REVIEW : Imperium / Dreamhunter (2016)

Imperium is the solo project of STRIKE's drummer Mika Brushane. Mika is a well-known musician that played(drums) in many bands/projects and composed songs for different genres and this legacy of mixed genres can be heard in the new IMPERIUM songs!

For "Dreamhunter", Mika achieved to gather many renowned musicians and the result is this brilliant record.  The album’s post production was mixed by Erkka Korhonen (Urban Tale, Northern Kings, Ari Koivunen, Raskasta Joulua) and was mastered by the legendary Mika Jussila (Nightwish, Children of bodom, Stratovarius, HIM etc.). The sound here is basically melodic hard rock, including big melodies, catchy hooks and choruses and very good guitar work with a strong metallic edge and the result is going to please every fan of this scene out there.

"Dreamhunter", that kicks-off the new record is simply melodic hard rock paradise; a fast-paced rocker with an 80's vibe in it and passionate vocals that grabs you and leaves you hungry for more! "Heaven Is Falling" is yet another late 80's melodic gem. It features a stunning up-tempo melody, crunchy guitars and the necessary 'sweet' chorus line to sing-a-long for days!!! "Always Forever" has this Scandi magic in it while in "There Will Be Light" the band delivers a 'heavier' song that features great arrangements, 'clever' keys and a superb melody. For sure one of the album's highlights. "80's Love Song" is simply a beautiful ballad (very 80's...) and the U.S. flavored "Starlight" is made for big arenas!!!!  

"Dreamhunter" is a 'back to the past' album! It brings you back to the late 80's, early 90', with its fantastic tracks, the beautiful melodies and big harmonies and the amazing guitar work! Everything here flows perfectly and at the end leaves a big smile upon the face of every melodic fan. 

Rating : 9/10

Track Listing :
1. Dreamhunter, 2. Heaven is falling, 3. Wasted Years, 4. Always Forever, 5. Fire & Ice, 6. There will be Light, 7. 80’s Love Song (a.k.a. Angel Eyes), 8. Reach For The Stars, 9. Starlight, 10. Victory, 11. Finem Vocationem






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