By Jonny Bakes
I don’t know about you, but this January seems to have been darker and bleaker than usual. After managing to struggle through Blue Monday last week, I’m in dire need of something powerful to breathe some life back into me and spur me through the rest of this week. Fortunately, an album dropped into my inbox at ÜRHQ with all of the buzzwords that promise to do just that – energetic, heavy/power and folk influences. It certainly holds a lot of promise, so I’m keen to dive right in and embrace the ‘Imperial Dawn’.
‘Imperial Dawn’ is the third album from Swedish metallers Rexoria who have been pretty busy sharing the stage with some pretty big names over the past few years, some of whom I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing before. Battle Beast, Bloodbound and Freedom Call are just a few of these bands but clearly shows the calibre of metal that Rexoria are bringing to the table. So with this third album, mixed by Stefan Helleblad of Within Temptation, Rexoria are really claiming their place at the power metal table.
The raspy vocals of Frida Ohlin are akin to Doro with powerful and emotive delivery which work perfectly with the belting power metal that accompanies them. The music itself is relentlessly energetic with seriously catchy melodies to boot, with plenty of wailing guitars and a rhythm that gets under your skin. It’s certainly impactful and completely grabs your attention in the time it takes Bluto to down a bottle of Jack Daniels (yes, that’s an Animal House reference… if you don’t know, look it up, let’s just say it’s pretty damn quick). Rexoria’s music has a way of invigorating and energising, meaning that it would be perfect gym music (if you are so inclined), for getting ready to get out for a night on the beer, or simply for providing a dose of motivation when you find yourself lacking. Regardless of why you end up listening to it, ‘Imperial Dawn’ really comes in strong with the energy levels, that’s for sure!
The album opens with ‘Paradigm’ which marks an explosive entrance that is akin to the effect that Sabaton’s ‘Ghost Division’ has on their live show (in fact the structure is not too dissimilar) and I could easily see this becoming a stage opener for Rexoria on upcoming tours. Within moments of the song starting I found myself uncontrollably fist pumping so it clearly had the effect that I was looking for! The vocals are delivered with such energy and passion that it’s almost impossible to resist getting sucked in and singing along – brilliant.
It just doesn’t let up either with ‘The New Revelation’ immediately following with equal levels of power and intensity. Fortunately, it’s also one of those songs where the title features heavily in the chorus so you’re able to get the hang of the words quickly, which is probably a good thing considering you’re guaranteed to want to sing along! ‘The New Revelation’ is bold enough to warrant being considered for a single release, if it hasn’t already, as the addition of poppy synths brings it to the next level of contagiously catchy. So contagious, in fact, that I believe it’s on the latest WHO watchlist…
All in all, ‘Imperial Dawn’ is the perfect remedy for a lack of energy and motivation as it’s guaranteed to get your blood pumping! The combination of catchy melodies, pounding rhythm and powerful vocals provides a shining example of power metal that belongs in any self respecting fan’s collection. This is definitely something for fans of Sabaton, Amaranthe, Doro, Battle Beast… the list goes on… in fact I think I’m just rattling off my favourite bands at this point which may explain why I liked this so much. Don’t just take my word for it though, check it out for yourself…
- ‘Imperial Dawn’ is released on Friday (3 February). You can your copy HERE.
- You can read our ‘Uber Rock Introduces… Rexoria’ feature HERE.
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