You’d be forgiven (by me anyway) for thinking that Imperial Triumphant were a Nile ubër concept band based on their masks. You’d be wrong as the day is long, because they certainly are not doing anything remotely Egyptian, especially on Goldstar. During my time with it I got these images from the movie Metropolis, and a fantastical vision of New York City.

It makes sense, they are from New York, and Goldstar is their brand-spanking-new album; it’s also their sixth full-length release after 2022’s Spirit of Ecstasy. They were brought to my attention by fellow scribe James, and I jumped all over this when I saw the promo.

I’ve been covering Steve Blanco and his other projects (Sarmat most recently) and this motherfucker can play! His bass playing is phenomenal and transports you into this Jazzy, twisted metropolis.

“Eye of Mars” bursts with an early days Morbid Angel feeling, and when the bass line pops up it changes course completely, becoming a mid-paced brutalizer. “Gomorrah Nouveaux” has this intro drum pattern that’s just psychotic and the whole track has this otherworldly, strident riffing and just wacky fucking time changes. It’s unrelenting and body-shaking. Top it off with a sick bass solo and then this happens…

“Lexington Delirium” (ft Tomas Haake) is one of those songs that exemplify the Jazz aspects of Tech-Death. Its merciless nature is kept in check with the pulsing bass lines that are clear as fucking day.

I need to mention that the production on Goldstar is sexy, suave, and majestic, yeah, I said it. It’s what an album such as this deserves. It’s this delivery that makes a track like “Hotel Sphinx” possible; it’s one of my favorite tracks because it goes full-on Dungeon Synth and then transitions to furious blasting for 47 seconds on “NEWYORKCITY.” It’s like every New Yorker yelling “HEY I’M FUCKING WALKING HERE!” And that leads to the marvelous title track, which is… wait for it… a Country/Western commercial for the album itself.  “Goldstar”  has the most “Happy Trails” vibe to it; it’s only 54 seconds long, but it’s a surprising ray of sunlight in this degraded urban environment that Imperial Triumphant have made of their home state.

I used to think of Billy Joel as the penultimate New York performer, but not anymore. Nope, Imperial Triumphant have taken your spot, Bucko!

After that, some Jazzy parts come crashing on the back of some epic skronky riffs that defy gravity, and that’s how “Rot Moderne” goes. Kind of like a barely functioning subway car crashing down rails. Beautifully brutal, indeed.

 

Which is how “Pleasuredome” (ft Dave Lombardo and Tomas Haake) begins. Remember that episode of M.A.S.H. where Radar goes bat shit crazy on a drum solo? That’s what happens at the 3:18 point, and then the bass kicks in, bringing it all together in a nicely wrapped package.

“Industry of Misery” is the final gasp of Goldstar, and it goes out on a big bang, with riffs that twist around the bass lines like a mutant DNA strand. It’s an absolute bonkers song, and even when it slows down at the 3:20 mark, it sets up this raw, towering guitar solo; mixed with the lethargic heaviness, it’s a whole other level of brutality.

Goldstar is a fun album, and it swings like Benny Goodman on crack with Buddy Rich accompanying while tripping balls on Peyote. If you love New York (you probably live there already) , but even if you don’t live there, maybe you’ll go one day and you’ll visit some smoke-filled Jazz lounge and Imperial Triumphant will be the house band… doubtful, but you never know.

Pick up Goldstar, it’ll make you feel better during these troubled times.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments