So, listening to Imperial and still enjoying it very much. Might not be the "deepest" album this year, but it certainly ranks pretty high in terms of number of plays.
Lotus is still my favorite, as it hits that right spot between song-centric catchiness and their (slightly) more complex earlier sound. Plus it's by far their best sounding album. But Imperial is just fantastic to listen to, great songs and melodies (it's one perfect chorus after another
)
However - I'm wondering where they go from here, as it's pretty obvious they are starting to get a bit stuck with a formula. Even within Imperial, the more uptempo songs kind of all start the same way, with very similar guitar riff/drum patterns. Heck, Deceiver and Dissident (my favorite, btw)...how close are those opening riffs? Or Lumerian vs. Opponent (Lotus' opener)...
Anyway, again, excellent album. Let's just hope they shake things up a little.