Imperial Triumphant
Gold Star
Century Media
Let’s get something out of the way first, not only is this almost definitely going to be an album of the year choice (unless something utterly miraculous happens) but it’s a contender to be an all time favourite. That’s how good Gold Star is! Imperial Triumphant once again pull inspiration from their home and draw from all aspects of New York City from culture, music, cinema and even design and architecture, it’s all here in their glorious freedom jazz inspired extreme metal spectacular. One of the remarkable things about this collection is the fact that the band are so good that when the legendary Tomas Haake of Meshuggah guests twice it’s on vocals and not on drums! But when they do have a guest drummer it’s none other than Dave Lombardo for a Brazilian flavoured drum solo on the incredible Pleasuredome. Other highlights include the Stanley Kubrik inspired Hotel Sphinx, the majestic ode to the Chrysler building, Lexington Delirium and where most bands at track five generally have a dip in tempo, Imperial Triumphant deliver NEW YORK CITY, a fifty second grindcore slab of trauma with incredible guest vocals by long-time collaborator Yoshiko O’Hara. To be honest though, the entire album is a highlight in a world of the mediocre Imperial Triumphant shine like the Manhattan skyline that inspires them. Upon finishing a first listen to the album in full, the initial reaction is to instantly play it again, a second thought is, maybe we should sit down first for ten minutes! Imperial and Triumphant indeed.
Imperial Triumphant – Facebook
Review by George Miller