As with Dracula: Swing of Death, Vlad the Imapler is a no nonsense concept album. It is not packed with narration or interludes, just powerful songs. Worlds on Fire is the first and it gets the album off to a strong start with big power chords that pour out of the speakers, dancing gothic strings, pounding anthemic drums. Rue is the album's main singer, and stamps his authority all over the song with his rough-edged high delivery making the staccato verses powerful, and the smoother choruses melodically pleasing. The previous album was a little more quirky and theatrical, and I think this album does miss these moments at times, but there is still plenty of drama here. Holter's guitar dances with neo-classical string movements part-way through the song before he launches into a shredding solo of his own. The song is not as catchy as it could be, and sometimes Rue's voice gets a little buried in the mix during the choruses which is shame, but it still opens the the album with a bang. Awakened has a chugging rhythm that makes it somewhat slower than the fast-paced opening number, which allows Henanger's keyboards to fill the gaps with lots of atmospherics. The guitars are mostly more restrained here, with doomy chord sequences making up most of the song's style, although flashy leads in the pre-chorus allow Holter to show off a little. The chorus here is much more memorable, with Rue showcasing more of his powerful range. He hits some pretty impressive high notes during it, although he sadly is still buried a little in the mix at times. You can tell that this is an album that was written and a produced by a guitarist, as the vocals have been neglected a little! This does not hide Rue's considerable talents at all however, and he shows why he is one of the genre's best vocalists throughout the album. Drums of Doom is the only song on the album that was co-written, with bassist Jansen sharing credit for the piece. It is another strident mid-paced number with a pounding percussive drum intro which Rue soon adds to with an effects-heavy vocal display that is packed full of attitude. As the song moves forward however the pace increases, with Bergseth laying into his double bass pedals at times to up the energy and Rue using the harsher side of his voice to fit with the heavier tones of the tune. In my opinion, this is one of the album's best pieces because it manages to create a strong atmosphere throughout and showcases the best of the whole band. Rue's performance here is stunning, ranging from pseudo-black metal rasps to an anthemic soaring chorus delivery, and Holter lays down a shredding solo later on in the piece that would rival Yngwie Malmsteen. This is a fabulous piece of modern heavy power metal that is full of attitude and atmosphere.
The Last Generation is the first song on the album to feature Erichsen in a lead vocal role, and she instantly showcases her talents with a moody verse delivery that fits the slow-paced guitar and keyboard trudge before exploding into a heavier chorus. She is a great vocal foil for Rue, and has the range and power to match his talents, but this song is all about her. The chorus is the heaviest moment of the song, and sees her unleash her higher-pitched screams to attack the lyrics. This is a great song to introduce her talents with as it showcases both her calmer side during the verses and her all-out metal attack during the choruses. Holter contributes a folky guitar solo towards the end of the song too which helps to add some additional melodies late on and makes a change from the usual shredding style he employs elsewhere. I'll Die for You is a catchy song that serves as one of the album's singles. The song opens with a symphonic main riff, that soon gives way to a sparse verse that allows Rue to inject a little personality into the piece with an expressive vocal display. While not as over-the-top or melodramatic as Lande, Rue still fills that role well here and as a result this song is probably the closest that this album sounds to the previous one. Erichsen adds the odd line of vocals here and there, but mostly this is Rue's piece and he shines. The chorus is a melodic feast that is sure to impress when played live, and the guitar work is generally much more restrained which allows the vocal melodies to take centre stage. Shadows of Love opens with a chiming clean guitar and keyboard melody, which Erichsen croons over with her smokey, smooth voice. I have not come across Erichsen before, but her performance throughout this album is excellent. I would not be surprised to see her name crop up more and more in the future. While not really a true ballad, this song certainly feels like one and is full of atmospherics and dancing strings - all of which are given space to to breathe thanks to the sparser overall feel. The choruses ramp up in power a little, with Holter's big guitar chords elevating everything, but much of the song is quite basic which allows the vocals to shine. A short guitar solo makes for a brief change of scene, but overall this is a song that is all about Erichsen and her talents. Without You is a short song that opens with a melodic piano line, but as soon as Rue starts singing it morphs in a gothic circus of dramatic guitars, soaring symphonic arrangements, and his vocals. This is another piece that is quite similar to the previous album as it has the quirkiness and attitude of the first album. The rhythm of the song has that circus feel, and the playful guitar melodies that often permeate throughout add little shocks of drama. For a song that is under three minutes in length, there is an awful lot going on here so when it finishes it feels rather premature!
Under My Skin is another song sung by Erichsen, so as with most of her songs it opens slowly and builds towards an explosive chorus. Piano melodies and gothic guitar atmospherics dominate the piece, but the chorus is a powerful metal moment with guitar parts that sound like something from an early Whitesnake album that have been 'metalled' up and a stunning vocal display. However it is possibly the song's instrumental section which is the true highlight of the song. Jansen's bass really powers through the mix, and the lengthy solo that Holter soon launches into is packed full of attitude and smouldering power. It is not a shred-fest, but instead builds up slowly making use of a less-is-more attitude. The album's title track is an instrumental piece, and allows the band's four musicians to showcase their skills. The early parts of the song are dominated by Henanger's keyboards. The drums are used in a more percussive way early on, and this allows the playful keyboard melodies to shine through. It has quite a symphonic approach, and this works well - but when the guitars really kick in and Bergseth starts attacking his drums in a more conventional way the song becomes much heavier and a playground for Holter. He lays down plenty of heavy riffs during the middle part of the song, leaving the leads and more expressive playing to the end. Playful melodies and lightning-fast shredding fill the song's closing moments however, and it feels as if the whole piece was building up to this more explosive section. It helps keep the instrumental piece interesting, and the distinct sections make the song feel like it is a journey rather than a simple collection of notes. Save Me (Part II) is the album's closing piece. It is a sequel to one of the songs on the first album, and is the only piece here to be sung as a true duet between the two featured singers. Rue and Erichsen trade lines during the verses and the two vocalists seem to feed off each other during the process. It is a shame that this is the only song to be sung as a proper duet, as this is something I would have liked to see more of throughout the album. Unsurprisingly, it is one of the best songs here and features one of the best choruses too. The two vocalists sing the chorus together, and their voices mix together really well to create a powerful sound. It is also the album's longest songs, at just under seven minutes in length, so it moves throughout a few different sections before coming to a close. There is a short section that includes a gothic choir for effect, and Holter also lays down one of his best solos here too. It is a fairly slow one, but it is characterised by perfect phrasing. He picks the exact right notes of the piece, and relies far less on the shredding that he employs elsewhere. I am surprised that he is a guitarist that has not featured on more albums throughout his career, as he is clearly a very versatile and strong player, and this album really allows him to show this. His long solo is, fittingly, how the album comes to a close which is a great way to finish his first 'solo' album. Overall, Vlad the Impaler is a strong modern power metal album that balances the heaviness and more melodic moments well. It does lack some of the drama and originality of the first album, but makes up for that with more power and an in-your-face feeling. I will be interested to see is this project will continue further and we will see more albums in the same series.
The album was released on 9th November 2018 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for I'll Die for You.
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