Gig Review: Imperial Age
Venue: The Dome
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Date: Jan 28, 2023
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Location: London, UK
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Venue: The Dome - Date: Jan 28, 2023 - Location: London, UK -
A lovely pint at the Boston Arms and it feels like gig season again, after a frosty Wintermas at the Citadel. And what a way to kick off the year than with a Russian/International symphonic power metal quintet. The Dome in London was packed to the brim on Saturday night as Imperial Age took the stage for their latest performance for this re-re-rescheduled UK tour, after Covid and a war. The band, which has been gaining a steady following over recent years, delivered an energetic and exciting set that left fans cheering until late into the night.
From beginning to end, it was clear that they had come ready to put on a show; each of their songs filled with intricate and powerful instrumentals combined with epic choir-like vocals that seemed operatic at times. It would have been great to see them with a full choir. The crowd was entranced by every note as if they were being transported back in time to some kind of Atlantean saga. It was an action-packed 2 hours that ran through a good chunk of their entire catalogue.
The tunes are very Therion-esque, and it’s unsurprising that mastermind Christofer Johnsson took a liking to them and distributed their songs through his label. The singer Alexander Osipov showed great energy as he sang passionately throughout every song - particularly during Legend of Free - which is one of my personal favorites from his repertoire. Before that song there was also a brilliant announcement, as they just got accepted for global talent visa so we should expect us to become UK based soon! He was also joking about how their lyrics are based on fantastical faraway worlds, but they still resonate with the current political climate. One such song was Distant Shores – a powerful ballad about finding hope in treacherous times – and set off on a journey through time for their audience; taking them back centuries into distant legends of freedom fighters who defied oppressive forces. Jane Odintsova & Anna Moiseeva are of course also integral elements of the band, weaving in out of solo pieces during songs, but also providing harmonised heft to choruses and climaxes. More than a few unwashed metalheads I’m sure also enjoyed their presence as it’s the closest they been to a woman in a while.
I am violently ill at the moment but at least I have some nice memories from the weekend. You can probably expect to see more of Imperial Age in the UK, so check out their website. Total Support!
