The Windsor Star Review On Aquila - Imperium
CD BREAKDOWN
by Dalson Chen
Thursday June 17th, 2009


AQUILA - IMPERIUM
"In our darkness, we will prevail." So roars this Windsor metal quintet. And judging by their long-awaited full-length album, I'm inclined to believe them. Fans of the genre will find plenty to sink their teeth into here: Catchy riffs, solid yet dynamic song construction, aggressive but varied vocals, tons of cool tech guitar parts. You'll even hear some groovy rock amidst the carnage. Most of these 10 songs are re-recorded versions of tracks that have appeared on Aquila's previous EPs -- honed and refined for formal release. Some tracks now feature guest vocals from local metal warriors such as Betrayer's Jeff Klingbeil and Bloodshoteye's Jessica Desjardins. Other tracks have been injected with fresh venom through sharpened riffage and ramped-up tempos. The new material doesn't disappoint either: The appropriately titled track Breathing Fire, Breathing Life is a fistful of furious riffs condensed into three minutes of awesome. Check out the funkiness at the 1:26 mark, then raise your horns at 2:08. The coolest thing to me about Aquila is the sense of war-torn triumph that pervades through all their stuff. It's metal for the conquering Roman general in you.