UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2020

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After three albums with his band IMPERA, founding drummer Johan Kihlberg decided it was time to spread his wings, and the Swede came up with the idea to record his first solo effort, Johan Kihlberg’s Impera “Age Of Discovery”. “I felt this would give me the opportunity to spread my wings a bit and work with some other people,” Johan said. “I grew up with bands like KISS, QUEEN, ABBA and THE BEATLES, who were not afraid to have a wide range of styles on their albums. I’m obviously a hard rock fan at heart, but I’m also influenced by bands like SIMPLE MINDS, KRAFTWERK, MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND, HUMAN LEAGUE and many others. I’m also a huge fan of movies and movie soundtracks.”

The first person Johan approached was LION’S SHARE guitarist Lars Chriss, who is also a renowned producer and mixer. “Johan and I got together and started writing songs,” Chriss said. “He usually had an idea of the direction and we took it from there. We also had a couple of friends coming up with basic ideas for about half of the album. We had the luxury to cherry-pick the songs we thought would add to what we already had going. For lyrics and melodies we worked closely with singer Mick Devine of the band SEVEN, whom I’ve done a couple albums with the last couple of years. My old friend and LION’S SHARE keyboardist Kay Backlund stepped up to the plate and worked with us on a couple of tracks as well.”

Kihlberg and Chriss decided to work with several different singers on the project, while enlisting Kihlberg’s longtime friend and IMPERA bandmate Mats Vassfjord to lay down the bass tracks. “As soon as we had the songs written, we started thinking about what voice and singer that would fit each individual track the best,” Kihlberg said. “Fortunately, they all agreed and did an amazing job on the album. I even managed to get one of my all-time favorite singers, Michael Sadler from SAGA, to sing a song.”

Johan Kihlberg’s Impera “Age Of Discovery” features a wide range of musical influences while remaining a very strong, melodic and powerful album. It boasts great production work by Chriss and a stunning artwork by Carl-André Beckston.

Line-up: Johan Kihlberg – Drums/Keyboards; Lars Chriss (Lion’s Share)- Guitars; Mats Vassfjord (220 Volt) – Bass; Michael Sadler (Saga) – Lead & Backing Vocals on 8; Göran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen, John Norum) – Lead & Backing Vocals on 6; Mick Devine (Seven) – Lead Vocals on 3, 5, 9 – Backing Vocals on 3, 7, 9, bonus track; Nigel Bailey (Bailey) – Lead Vocals on 7, 10, bonus track – Backing Vocals on 5, 10 ; Nils Patrik Johansson (Lion’s Share, Astral Doors) – Lead & Backing Vocals on 2, 3; Michael J. Scott – Lead & Backing Vocals on 4; Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen) – solo on 9; Kay Backlund (Lion’s Share) – Keyboards on 1, 3, 6; Anders Rybank (Coastland Ride) – Keyboards on 8

Produced by: Johan Kihlberg & Lars Chriss

Mixed by: Lars Chriss for www.noterious.eu

Mastered by: Mike Lind

Artwork by: Carl André Beckston

Line-Up

Johan Kihlberg

Drums/Keyboards

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Lars Chriss (Lion’s Share)

Guitars

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Mats Vassfjord (220 Volt)

Bass

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Michael Sadler (Saga)

Lead & Backing Vocals on 8

Göran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen, John Norum)

Lead & Backing Vocals on 6

Mick Devine (Seven)

Lead Vocals on 3, 5, 9 - Backing Vocals on 3, 7, 9

Nigel Bailey (Bailey)

Lead Vocals on 7, 10 - Backing Vocals on 5, 10

Nils Patrik Johansson (Lion’s Share, Astral Doors)

Lead & Backing Vocals on 2, 3

Michael J. Scott

Lead & Backing Vocals on 4

Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen)

solo on 9

Kay Backlund (Lion’s Share)

Keyboards on 1, 3, 6

Anders Rybank (Coastland Ride)

Keyboards on 8

ALBUMS

The Rage

Main Title

Dreaming

At the Gym

Fight Challenge

In The Cell

Fields

Breakout

Confrontation

Tank Assault

End Title

Age Of Discovery

Prelude

That´s The Way That Life Goes

Fear

Falling

The End Of The Road

Just A Conversation

The Right Stuff

Why Does She Care

I Am I

It’s A Revolution

Empire Of Sin

The Beast Is Dead

Evil (become A Believer)

Don’t Stop

Hole In The Sky

End Of The World

Thunder In Your Heart

Lights In The Sky

Darling

Lost Boy

Fly Away

Pieces of Eden

Beast Within

These Chains

All Alone

Smalltown Blues

Since You’ve Been Gone

Goodbye

Easy Come

You And I

This Is War

Fire And The Flame

Legacy Of Life

Turn My Heart To Stone

Kiss Of Death

Break The Law

Shoot Me Down

Sunset Rider

Tell Me

More Than Meets The Eye

Is This Love

Show Me The Money

Dead-end Street

PRESS

After three albums with his band IMPERA, founding drummer Johan Kihlberg decided it was time to spread his wings, and the Swede came up wi…th the idea to record his first solo effort, Johan Kihlberg’s Impera “Age Of Discovery”. “I felt this would give me the opportunity to spread my wings a bit and work with some other people,” Johan said. “I grew up with bands like KISS, QUEEN, ABBA and THE BEATLES, who were not afraid to have a wide range of styles on their albums. I’m obviously a hard rock fan at heart, but I’m also influenced by bands like SIMPLE MINDS, KRAFTWERK, MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND, HUMAN LEAGUE and many others. I’m also a huge fan of movies and movie soundtracks.”

The first person Johan approached was LION’S SHARE guitarist Lars Chriss, who is also a renowned producer and mixer. “Johan and I got together and started writing songs,” Chriss said. “He usually had an idea of the direction and we took it from there. We also had a couple of friends coming up with basic ideas for about half of the album. We had the luxury to cherry-pick the songs we thought would add to what we already had going. For lyrics and melodies we worked closely with singer Mick Devine of the band SEVEN, whom I’ve done a couple albums with the last couple of years. My old friend and LION’S SHARE keyboardist Kay Backlund stepped up to the plate and worked with us on a couple of tracks as well.”

Kihlberg and Chriss decided to work with several different singers on the project, while enlisting Kihlberg’s longtime friend and IMPERA bandmate Mats Vassfjord to lay down the bass tracks. “As soon as we had the songs written, we started thinking about what voice and singer that would fit each individual track the best,” Kihlberg said. “Fortunately, they all agreed and did an amazing job on the album. I even managed to get one of my all-time favorite singers, Michael Sadler from SAGA, to sing a song.”

Johan Kihlberg’s Impera “Age Of Discovery” features a wide range of musical influences while remaining a very strong, melodic and powerful album. It boasts great production work by Chriss and a stunning artwork by Carl-André Beckston.

Line-up: Johan Kihlberg – Drums/Keyboards; Lars Chriss (Lion’s Share)- Guitars; Mats Vassfjord (220 Volt) – Bass; Michael Sadler (Saga) – Lead & Backing Vocals on 8; Göran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen, John Norum) – Lead & Backing Vocals on 6; Mick Devine (Seven) – Lead Vocals on 3, 5, 9 – Backing Vocals on 3, 7, 9, bonus track; Nigel Bailey (Bailey) – Lead Vocals on 7, 10, bonus track – Backing Vocals on 5, 10 ; Nils Patrik Johansson (Lion’s Share, Astral Doors) – Lead & Backing Vocals on 2, 3; Michael J. Scott – Lead & Backing Vocals on 4; Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen) – solo on 9; Kay Backlund (Lion’s Share) – Keyboards on 1, 3, 6; Anders Rybank (Coastland Ride) – Keyboards on 8

Produced by: Johan Kihlberg & Lars Chriss

Mixed by: Lars Chriss for www.noterious.eu

Mastered by: Mike Lind

Artwork by: Carl André Beckston

For more info: www.impera.org