MACBETH – Imperium review

 MACBETH – Imperium

Massacre Records

http://www.macbeth-music.de

MACBETH might have had a lot of problems when they were a metal band on the Eastern Communistic Germany, but they have somehow managed to survive and now in the 30^th anniversary of the band they are ready to release their fourth full length album under the title “Imperium”. Before we proceed to the presentation of the album let us see what “Imperium” means according to Wikipedia: “Imperium is a Latin word which, in a broad sense, translates roughly as 'power to command'. In ancient Rome, different kinds of power or authority were distinguished by different terms. Imperium referred to the sovereignty of the state over the individual”. I think the topic of the album is close to the philosophy of the band who as it mentions on the bio sheet “the songs of MACBETH tell unholy, demonic and insane stories and offer a glimpse into the depths of the human soul”. Ok, enough with that and let the music do the talking…

THE COVER: It is dark as the lyrical topics of the band and it looks like the cover of an old book. On the centre of it you can see a figure that looks like Charon holding a human skull. According to my interpretation it symbolizes the “imperium” of death upon the human life.

MUSICAL STYLE: MACBETH are a traditional heavy metal band that come from the 80’s and they carry this legacy in present days. Their lyrics though draw inspiration from dark topics and through the years they have made their sound heavier and more aggressive. So, don’t be surprised when you listen to their new album which emphasizes on the thrash metal sound. Actually I can describe it as modern melodic thrash metal in the vein of THE HAUNTED, but it also draws influences from the traditional heavy metal sound and good all time classic SLAYER. I think that this is an album that combines the modern with the classic heavy/thrash metal and it has an atmosphere that can be described as dark and aggressive that fits to the lyrical topics of the band.

CONCLUSION: “Imperium” is an album that has the energy and the enthusiasm that you can find in a young metal band, but also has the maturity of a band that has many years in this kind of sound. It is an album that marries the new with the classic and it is an album that will be enjoyed by fans of modern melodic heavy/thrash metal that never forgets its roots.

*7/10

Nick “Verkaim” Parastatidis