Imperial Triumphant
Spirit of Ecstasy
Imperial Triumphant
Spirit of Ecstasy
Avant-garde black metal act Imperial Triumphant has unearthed a masterful new feat in their latest album, Spirit of Ecstasy. Hailing from New York City, the band has infused jazz, Art Deco, black metal, and an array of experimentation for over a decade. In their 5th full-length record, they have unfailingly delivered another pièce de résistance that both embodies the band’s signature sound and delves deeper into their unique brand of madness with increasing ecstasy.
Drawing from both the thriving art, architecture, and creativity of their hometown, as well as its role as a hivemind of corruption, greed, and ambition over the last two centuries, Imperial Triumphant offers a sonic and thematic paradox. Spirit of Ecstasy depicts simultaneous chaos and beauty; artistry and indulgence; extravagance and simplicity. The city itself can be discovered in the music — something that distinguishes the record from others in the genre that typically draw inspiration from nature or spirituality.
Three minutes into the introductory track, “Chump Change,” the industrial instrumentation and chromaticism echo the cacophony of New York City streets. Guitars and drums blend beauty, chaos, noise, melody, and fury that epitomizes Manhattan’s culture, people, and history. “Tower of Glory, City of Shame’s” dizzying motifs also embody both the loveliest and most despicable characteristics of the metropolis. The band’s technical chops round out the album in tracks like “In The Pleasure of Their Company,” where frantic horns, keyboard solos, and jazz grooves stand in place of Zachary Ezrin’s vocals.
There’s simply no denying the massive musical technicality that distinguishes Imperial Triumphant from many of their peers, and from record to record, Ezrin’s vocals continue toward an even finer-tuned instrument than prior releases.
The final movement, “Maximalist Scream,” advances from chaos to melancholy, closing out with what resembles shrieking rockets in the night sky. You can’t listen to the ending without fearing that the entire album might self-destruct. It is quite the ending to a most bizarre, beautifully crafted performance.
In Spirit of Ecstasy, Imperial Triumphant has encapsulated the 1920s extravagance with the intricacies of 1950s jazz, 2020s black metal, Art Deco-inspired themes, and impressionism, resulting in an album that carries listeners away into a dark, beautiful, and contemplative dreamland. For the 5th time in over a decade, we are invited to once again step into the film noir of the human mind that only Imperial Triumphant can conjure.
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