Band:	Imperium Dekadenz
Album:	Meadows Of Nostalgia
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	March 15, 2013
A review by:	Troy Killjoy

01. Durch das Tor...
02. Brigobannis
03. Aue der Nostalgie
04. Ave Danuvi
05. Memoria
06. Aura Silvae
07. Der Unweg
08. Striga
09. Tränen des Bacchus

If not for being the band's second-best album, Meadows Of Nostalgia could have been Imperium Dekadenz' magnum opus.

Following such a critically acclaimed album such as Procella Vadens is never an easy thing. As a band you have to be careful not to follow in the exact same footsteps while not deviating too far from what made you successful in the first place. This album manages to fulfill both of these quotas so to speak, but there's a missing element unique to its predecessor that is seemingly un-quantifiable, which is what makes Meadows Of Nostalgia an unfortunate victim of circumstance.

The bile-filled hatred spewed forth by Horaz is on par with the most vile, raw black metal vocalist, but it's a venomous sound made more palatable by accessible haunting melodies blended into a warm, enveloping backdrop. At no point are you ever overwhelmed by the extremity because it's toned down significantly compared to the "founding fathers'" lo-fi style, but there's still a distinct presence of extremity that helps balance an otherwise easy listen. Think Disney presents... black metal! And there you have Imperium Dekadenz. That may be a mild exaggeration, but you get the point. It's easy listening for the early Darkthrone fanboys, harsh listening for anyone who's never ventured beyond the polarity of Coldplay. Think "world music" featuring blastbeats. Fun for the whole family, surely.

Each track tends to bleed into the next with the exception of the accustomed interludes, but their structure differs enough to continuously engage the listener. Meadows Of Nostalgia may not be the easiest listen in the history of music, but it does its best to focus on the most digestible aspects of what black metal has to offer. Between the epic melodies, persistent not-so-dissonant wall of guitars, and a lengthy foray into repetitive riffs and shrieking madness, this is an album that tries to breach the insurmountable grounds of extreme metal fans and mainstream music listeners, winning neither over, but somehow coming out relatively unscathed as a worthwhile, if unremarkable, listen.