A little while ago now I chatted with Alexander and Jane from Russia's IMPERIAL AGE. This is one which i guess you could say didn't come through the usual channels. I set this one up myself responding to their social media marketing. You'll see for yourself when you play the 'Anthem of Valour' video clip linked below. It was an amazing insight into the music scene, and life in general I guess, in Russia today. The interview, like their music, was epic and so I've split the interview into 2 parts. Check it all out below. If you'd prefer to read the interview click here. IMPERIAL AGE (from the website) Two great modern-age Empires are home to Imperial Age: Russia and Great Britain, since leader and co-founder Alexander “Aor” Osipov has always lived between these two worlds, his family being from Ayr, Scotland, while he himself resides in Moscow, Russia. But that is not what Imperial Age is about. Formed in 2012 by Alexander Osipov and Jane Odintsova in Moscow and endorsed by genre founder Christofer Johnsson (Therion) himself, today Imperial Age is Russia’s most successful symphonic metal act and the country’s second most internationally touring metal band. And no wonder, because Imperial Age have brought the idea of symphonic metal (and metal in general) to its highest maximum, elevating the innate qualities of the genre – loftiness, solemnity, grandeur and overall majesty – to the highest spiritual altitudes known to rock music in their new opus magnum, the metal opera “Legacy of Atlantis”. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Sergei Lazar (Arkona) with guests such as Nalle Pahlsson, Christian Vidal and Thomas Vikstrom of Therion and the Moscow Conservatory Chamber Choir. The record includes some of the best written Imperial Age songs and features four singers: Aor, Jane, Anna Moiseeva and Thomas Vikstrom. Speed/Power metal anthems such as “And I Shall Find My Home” and “The Escape” harmoniously coexist with thoughtful mid-tempo compositions like “Life Eternal” and “Love Eternal”. The ballads “Monastery” and “Islands in Time” fully unfold the two female voices while heavy metal marches “The Awakening” and “Domini Canes” show the best of the male part of the line-up. And last but not least, the brightest gem of the album – the epic choral symphony “The Legacy of Atlantis” will send goosebumps down your spine while images of the great but tragic ancient past go speeding in front of your eyes… However, the lyrics on his record are just as important as the music. Imperial Age is not about modern-day empires. Instead, it is about the great civilisations which preceded the one we live in now. Aor explains: “There is an occult legend, which is at the root of modern magick. Now here I mean the real thing, not the mass-media image, although recently there have been surprisingly good depictions of the topic in blockbuster movies, which is a good sign for us. According to the legend, 65 000 years ago a great, a highly advanced empire ceased to exist. It was a global civilisation covering not only planet Earth, but also distant colonies in other star systems. Its technological achievements are still unmatched today, being ahead of what we have now by approximately 5000 years, if we continue evolving at the same pace. All modern religions, mystical, magical and occult traditions have one root – Atlantic knowledge. Although long perished, the spirit of Atlantis is still at the core of the modern world, the ancient lore driving progress in the restoration of civilisation on the planet, through unifying and connecting humankind. Over the millennia following the demise of Atlantis, many magical orders have served the cause of rebuilding the great civilisation through forcing the development of our world: the founders and priests of Ancient Egypt, the Orphics of Ancient Greece, the Templars of Medieval Europe, the Rosenkreuz, the Freemasons, the Golden Dawn and others, less known but much more potent. We are, in some sense, the descendants of that line, only we play Heavy Metal.” Today, Imperial Age use the most influential form of art (music) in its most powerful and diverse genre (symphonic metal) to inspire, empower and fill the souls and hearts of people with purest energy that enables to accomplish great deeds. This is the type of music that can change people’s destinies. This is not the type of metal that drives into depression. And this is not the type of metal that entertains. Imperial Age does what Heavy Metal has always been meant to do – to elevate and inspire, to fill with power and belief, to open up the way towards greatness and to illuminate The Path for those seeking to tread upon it. Backed up by the colossal might of ancient forces, the great Imperial Age has begun. Tune in, and become part of the great cause that spans through millennia! Comments are closed.
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About the authorMetalhead who hates bad parking. |