Imperial Vengeance – “Black Heart of Empire”

If anyone bitches that no good albums were released this year, I will slap them around the face with a hole-punch. We’ve already had fantastic albums from Taake, Sebastian Bach, Kampfar, Vesperian Sorrow, Spine Extraction, Moonsorrow, Omnium Gatherum, Insomnium, Vader, Decapitated, Byfrost and loads of others who I have temporarily forgotten… and now Imperial Vengeance have released this little beauty.

I opted for the special CD and booklet release of this album – which meant that I had to wait a little longer to hear it, but I had a great experience during my listen as my ears were treated to some tasty sounds and my eyes feasted on the ‘penny dreadful’ booklet’s delights. Marvellous.

“Black Heart of Empire” is IV’s second album and is set in a completely different scene and era in comparision to its predecessor “The Going Down of the Sun”. While the debut took us back in time to World War I, “Black Heart…” takes back even further – right into the cobbled streets of Victorian London. “The Going Down of the Sun” was a beautiful journey into the world of dark metal, but “Black Heart…” takes things to another level.

This time around IV are joined by some special guests – most notably gangster Dave Courtney, who supplies some fantastically atmospheric voiceovers, and Bjørnar E. Nilsen from Vulture Industries who lends his trademarked ‘weird’ vocals to “Upon the Stair” as ‘The Voice of the Fiend’. That track is demented and creepy – I’m totally infatuated with it.

Imperial Vengeance play dark metal in the way that only they can and, as a result, have created a spinetinglingly original album. Right from Dave Courtney’s introduction at the start of the album, I found myself transported into Victorian London. Not only have IV written some songs about the period; they’ve created a time machine that can take you there. When I listen to this little gem on my walks home from work, I have to frequently remind myself that there are cars on the road, not horses and carts. It’s a work of complete and utter genius.

Musically it is, as you would expect, spot on. Actually, it’s absolute perfection. I get the feeling that a lot of time has been spent making sure that every aspect of the record is at it’s optimum level of awesomeness. Oh, and the Danny Elfman-esque interludes stir up a fantastically creepy ambience leaving the listener (or, at least, me) completely spellbound.

Highlights include: “Black Heart Empire”, “The Voice of Thelema”, “Upon the Stair” and “Veiled Threats Over Cocktails”… but, basically, the whole album makes me unleash strange happy little noises.

So, behold this album in all of its glory! …Or feel the wrath of my hole-punch!

Rating: 100% (Yep, another album with full marks… but I really wouldn’t change a thing.)

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