ALBUM REVIEW: An Evening With Imperial Triumphant – Imperial Triumphant
It’s rather unsettling to note that NY extreme experimental jazz metal band IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT have been around since 2005. It wasn’t until last year, with the release of the stellar Alphaville, that the band really seemed to find their stride. It’s fitting, then, that their next move is to release a live album, celebrating and cementing their successes so far. But does their wonderfully weird sound translate well to a live setting, or does it fall flat when trying to pin down their experimentation?
An Evening With Imperial Triumphant is a title which plays on the dark jazz elements of their truly singular sound. So, too, does the venue – The Slipper Room in New York City is known for comedy and cabaret. But there’s a certain something about IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT which brings cabaret to the world of black metal, so it’s an angle that works.
From the tempestuous ambient sounds of their introduction, into opening song Rotten Futures and all the way to The Greater Good, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT remind us of why they’re one of the most curious and captivating bands on the black metal circuit today. The band’s blend of dark jazz, black metal, synth and ambience frequently bring us to the threshold of sonic oblivion, in an overwhelming way that smacks of the likes of NAKED CITY and the avant garde jazz scene, more than it does anything in the metal world.
If their latest album, Alphaville, was inspired by arthouse film directors such as Fritz Lang, the live versions of these songs plays on just how claustrophobic the city can seem. Sprawling and complex, the sound washes like a spaghetti junction from the kind of town that would make evil masterminds feel right at home.
The set list is cosmic, allowing the compositions to breathe between battering moments of belligerent noise. The walking bassline in Cosmopolis is allowed to peep through in the production, thanks to the talents of production and mixing. There are constant little stand out moments of genius, giving you something to latch onto in the midst of the cacophony.
It’s something that prevents the music of IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT from completely falling by the wayside and being relegated to purely experimental territory – if you like weird stuff, you’ll love this, but if you want to head bang, there’s something in it for you, too.
Rating: 9/10
An Evening With Imperial Triumphant is set for release on November 26th via Century Media Records.
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