Imperial

Imperial formed in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 1983 with Dante Ramon Ledesma on vocals and keyboards, Jean-Jacques Werner on bass, Leonardo Ribeiro on guitar, and Paulo Gaiger on drums. They put out their self-titled debut album the following year, which included what became their most recognized track, "A Grande Batalha."

Their music pulled from progressive rock, classical, and jazz, built around intricate arrangements and orchestral touches. The lyrics often dealt with heavier themes like war and human struggle, as you can hear in songs like "A Longa Marcha" and "Buried Alive."

They followed that first record with a few more albums in the mid-to-late 80s, including Noite in 1985 and Selva in 1987. Their approach wasn't always embraced by critics at the time, but they kept working in that same vein for those few years.