siLLy puPPy IMPERA is one of the many metal bands that has popped up in present day Ukraine in the last couple decades. This band emerged from the Western city of Ivano-Frankivsk and started out as Pandemonium from 2006-08 before switching to the name IMPERA. The band has gone through many lineup changes over the years but given that hardly any good info can be found, it’s not really clear which members played on which release.

As IMPERA, the band lasted from 2008-16 but only released a demo and two EPs. The first EP to emerge was this one titled VOICE OF FREEDOM in 2011 and the second one titled “Чорні мрії" quickly followed in 2012 but no full-length release was ever put out. VOICE OF FREEDOM is an interesting collection of five tracks that slinks past the 22 minute mark and for the sake of databases is tagged as melodic death metal.

Melodic it is and it is death metal as well but this is one of those band’s most similar to Finland’s Children of Bodom that mixes classic death metal sounds with heavy doses of keyboards and electronica. While Children of Bodom is more like a mix of death metal and power metal, IMPERA is more like a mix of death metal and industrial metal although the riffing is a lot like groove metal so this band actually has a somewhat unique sound that i haven’t yet heard quite fused together in this particular manner.

For hardcore death metal fans this will come across as too melodic or perhaps too groovy but for those who love the grooves of industrial metal or the stampeding processions of groove metal with wild electronic accompaniments this is actually pretty good music. The vocal style is quite growly and falls firmly into the death metal camp though. I would say that the groove metal aspects are somewhat similar to Lamb of God with some electronic elements that are on the techno end of the spectrum. Add a bit of Prong, a dash of Machine Head and a tinge of Fear Factory and you get the picture. This probably wouldn’t sound like death metal much at all if it weren’t for the vocal style.

Whatever you call this it’s a decent obscure release of melodic extreme metal from the part of the Ukraine where they actually speak Ukrainian although this one is exclusively in English. There are some classical touches too such as on the ending title track that has some Paganini styled violin playing although i’m not sure if it’s a real violin or synthesized. For melodic extreme metal this is actually quite a pleasant listen and i wish this band would’ve released an actual album instead of only two short EPs. The Ukraine has turned out to contain a treasure trove of interesting underground metal acts and although IMPERA was a pleasant surprise, it really shouldn’t have been.