New York City long has been an inspiration and sometimes target for people when they think of the United States. The culture, the architecture, the history, and the arts overflow, feeling like it’s the real center point of the United States, a place people come to experience everything it has to offer. And it’s been the target of two high-profile terror attacks. There’s a reason for that.
The city long has inspired black metal trio Imperial Triumphant—vocalist/guitarist Zachary Ezrin, bassist/keyboard player Steve Blanco, drummer Kenny Grohowski—and on “Goldstar,” they continue to dig deeper into the city’s seamy history, the smoke and smog included. This is the band’s fourth consecutive look back at a very specific period for NYC, and if it feels like a strange fever dream from a century ago, you’re on the right track. The fact the band finds this much to mine from the city is astonishing, and they keep creating pieces that feel like they’re reaching out from the past, wrenching us with horrors and violence we can digest today. The record doesn’t delve terribly far from their past few releases that kicked off with 2018’s “Vile Luxury,” but there are twists and turns, new color palettes, and expanded sounds that prove they are growing along with this empire city.
“Eye of Mars” opens already drubbing, a smeary path mixing with keys and Ezrin’s roars that explode out of the speakers. Things are zany, which is typical for this band, with some end-of-days horns aching, and then the trudging gets heavier, the bass grows rubbery, and cosmic winds chill after a total combustion. “Gomorrah Nouveaux” starts with rhythmic claps and the drumming playing along, crushing with sooty growls, delirious gusts, and the bass again flexing its steely muscles. Organs breeze as the pace engulfs anew, the bass slapped as the smoke rises, guitars sprawling and swallowing everything into the sewage systems. “Lexington Delirium” features Meshuggah drumming beast Tomas Haake, and it starts clean and elegant as distant sirens cry, eerie strangeness bubbling before the growls erupt. Again, the bass playing is very active, and even a brief breath of calm explodes into savagery, sailing into a cosmic bath, returning to crush wholly. “Hotel Sphinx” turns up the insanity, leads sweeping as crazed cries penetrate, the guitars warping and snarling, weirdness at every corner. Whirry synth chills and gives off science lab vibes, and then it combusts, a children choir chanting, the end balanced in filth. “NEWYORKCITY” is a brutal shock, a blinding, almost grind-like destroyer with Yoshiko Ohara (of the great Bloody Panda) attacking, shrieking, and warbling as your brain tries to hang on for dear life.
The title track plays like an old time radio ad, harmonized singing calling the praises of Goldstar brand cigarettes, urging, “Die for Goldstar.” And you will! “Rot Moderne” squeezes your temples as the pace goes for broke, your brain melting along with the bass smoking, and the guitars chewing and bubbling with electricity. Start/stop mangling bruises our extremities while an unsettling force sends vibrations, the playing spitting sparks. “Pleasuredome” features the legendary Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, Mr. Bungle) as well Haake, sirens signaling trouble as the ambiance churns. The playing then drives into your heart, bells chiming in loops, howls reverberating, and the rhythm bashing your skull into concrete. A haunting aura builds as molten thrashing lays waste, sounds fading into the steam. Closer “Industry of Misery” lets keys drip before everything ignites, guitars knifing as the tempo challenges your stomach contents, hypnosis mixing with a thickening smoke cloud. The melodies continue to make the room spin, fiery jolts landing blows to your ribcage, the city vermin circling you and taking you deep underground.
Imperial Triumphant’s journey into the center of a city long since decayed into something else remains as ashen and energetic on “Goldstar,” a trim, muscular beast that aims to throw you from the top of the Chrysler building. The band’s fixation with this subject matter might grow weary after time, but it’s clear these guys have so much more inspiration and devastation to pack into their music that continues to morph into a different being each time out. This is another fascinating vision from one of the most challenging bands in all black metal. And metal in general.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.imperial-triumphant.com/
To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://centurymedia.store/pages/imperial-triumphant-gold-star
Or here (Europe): https://www.cmdistro.de/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.centurymedia.com/
Meat Mead Metal 