Attention all onlookers and bystanders – the golden mask-clad, avant-garde metal trio Imperial Triumphant have just unveiled the next chapter in their journey through the decadence and perversion found in the streets of New York (and quite honestly, the world). Called Goldstar, this new record takes the perennial trio’s exploration of the extreme and arcane, and delivers the band’s most focused, authentic and accessible work to date. While the triumvirate of vocalist and guitarist Zachary Ezrin, bassist Steve Blanco and drummer Kenny Grohowski has expanded the language of extreme music with records including 2021’s Alphaville and 2023’s Spirit of Ecstasy via musical improvisation and a visual obliqueness that extends to their haunting masked performances, Goldstar is their defining moment. Also joining the vaunted ensemble are Meshuggah’s drummer Thomas Haake and legendary drummer Dave Lombardo, both of whose presence makes it clear that musically, Imperial Triumphant are in a class entirely their own. From record opener “Eye of Mars” to the stirring “Hotel Sphinx” and the death metal scraping “Rot Moderne”, this is the sound of Imperial Triumphant capitalizing on months of churning up the road in the company of bands such as Carcass and Zeal & Ardor. In their vision of urban disorder, the triumvirate’s monolithic cityscapes are dark as any of their extreme or black metal brethren.
Goldstar will be released on March 21st via Century Media. Pre-orders are now available here.
Photo credit: Alex Krauss
