Impera
Legacy Of Life

I see the name Tommy Denander and instantly I know what I'm getting is… adult rock with lead guitars and a certain amount of arena feel to it. But actually this is pretty unfair considering what amount of stuff Denander has put his nose in - hundreds of different albums. But Impera, well… that's the same old story as most of that stuff.

Besides Denander we find J.K. Impera, matti Alfonzetti and Mats Vassfjord in Impera - a band of brothers with a cv full of different bands, session work and other stuff. You might say Impera is something of a super band and you wouldn't be wrong saying so, this is something of a super band and 'Legacy of Life' feels a bit like something of a super album as well with the quick and cheerful choruses, happy verses and clean production. The ten songs takes 40 minutes to play and I can't find a single wrong step on that journey towards the end. And why would there be any? The combined experience from the musicians in the band is almost as big as Turning Torso but still, I can't say I love this album (again like the Turning Torso).

Maybe the problem is that I'm not adult enough for adult rock? Maybe it's the musicians I have a personal issue towards? Well, I have liked adult rock before and also adult rock with bands including musicians in Impera. So I don't think it's any of those reasons. Maybe then it's the songs? Maybe they haven't made the best of those? Well, maybe but probably not - why would it be anything wrong with the songs?It's not like they're amateurs or something and to me the songs feel worked through properly so to say they've done anything wrong writing them is just stupid. And as far as I can tell the music is well played, the vocals well sung and the production well produced so I can't really find any reason why I don't fall in love with this but the falling still remains unfallen.

The music on 'Legacy Of Life' is guitar driven, mostly quite fast and constantly moving forwards. The melodies steams forward like a steam engine on a train pulling the train forward with a joyful screech. The music is quite happy and upbeat and perhaps that's what's clashes with my current state of mind? Well, no… feels very farfetched - I normally like the optimistic music as much as the depressing kind and it just feels like we're on different levels me and this very good and well made album. I've played it several times but that feeling of something wrong just wont go away. I can hear the qualities and I can tell that it's a really good album - stable, well made and all kinds of stuff but it just don't suit me personally. All I can say is that I recommend you to check it out, but there's always the risk that I'm not the only one to feel this way. Then again, there's always the chance that I'm wrong as well.

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