ALBUM REVIEW: All Through The Night – Imperial State Electric

The Swedish outfit IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC are releasing their fifth album, All Through The Night, since their formation in 2009. Their brand of rock incorporates some of the major elements of classic rock and reforms them in a dramatic modern way.

The album kicks off with a pleasing guitar riff on Empire Of Fire, already setting the scene for the rocky album to come. Vocals quickly kick in, with a slight bluesy feel and paying homage to many tropes found in Rock n Roll through the ages, specifically elements of classic rock but with a more modern twist.

Next is the title track All Through The Night, a short song at 2:37, but packed full of love fuelled lyrics, gentle guitar riffs, and a stabilising drum beat. Nicke Anderson’s powerful voice carries the song through all those uncomfortable thoughts and urgencies found in the midnight hours, the desperation for the morning light to appear over the night’s sky. Remove Your Doubt kicks off with some grungier guitars and faster beat to pick the pace back up. Fast paced lyrics and a catchy tune are carefully combined to create this upbeat anthem.

Break It Down brings some country into the album and features Linn Segolson providing female vocals. These two factors keep the album moving, and refrain from monotony.  Nicke Anderson’s vocals mix beautifully with Linn Segolson’s, combined with guitar riffs dripping with country rhythms are a change from the rest of the rocky album, but it somehow works. Like several of the songs on the album, however, it falls prey to having the title repeated too much.  The lyrics could bare to be more intricate, more complicated to save the songs becoming boring and repetitive.

This is certainly true in Over And Over Again, which jumps in with a fast paced beat and a catchy tune. This is an album full of hints to other songs and bands, a nod of acknowledgement to its inspirations which gives it a comforting feel, it’s familiar. Read Me Wrong slows down again but is still somehow upbeat with gentle singing and prominent drums. This song has hints of both country and the sixties which makes an interesting sound.

Would You Lie starts off with a hint of grunge with gravelly tones, but quickly switches it up to an upbeat tempo and fast paced melodies which match the confrontational nature of the lyrics. This is another song that will have any listener singing along. The album rounds off with a slower track: No Sleeping. Gentle tones mixed with an essence of blues wind down from the earlier fast songs, and despite being called No Sleeping, it actually is quite calming and could put you to sleep! It picks up speed in the second half slightly, but still maintains the closing down feel and neatly ends off the album.

A rejuvenation of rock’s greatest sounds for a modern audience, paying homage to those who hear in music resulting in an album with elements of blues, country, grunge, and many more which is sure to win over any music lover. It’s unfortunate that it’s let down by repetitive lyrics which limits the replayability as well as being frustrating.

Rating: 6/10

All Through The Night is out now via Psychout Records.

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