Album Review: Imperial Triumph – Goldstar

A Dystopian Jazz-Metal Nightmare

Imperial Triumphant has long established itself as one of the most avant-garde forces in modern extreme metal, blending jazz, black metal, and dissonant soundscapes into a chaotic yet structured cacophony. Their latest album, Goldstar, continues this trajectory, taking the listener on a nightmarish journey through the decay and excess of modern civilization, specifically New York City. With an eclectic guest lineup including Tomas Haake (Meshuggah), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), and Yoshiko Ohara (ex-Bloody Panda), Goldstar is an exercise in high-concept artistry and sonic violence. The album opens with “Eye of Mars,” a five-minute descent into madness with ominous brass sections weaving through jagged riffs and frenetic drumming. The song sets the tone for Goldstar, immersing listeners in a cinematic, dystopian vision. The follow-up, “Gomorrah Nouveaux,” intensifies the chaos, featuring off-kilter rhythms and eerily layered vocals that evoke a city teetering on the brink of collapse.

“Lexington Delirium” brings a special touch with Tomas Haake’s signature polyrhythmic drumming, reinforcing the track’s mechanical, almost cybernetic nature. The interplay between jazz-inflected guitar leads and brutal riffing is mesmerizing, pushing the boundaries of what extreme metal can be. “Hotel Sphinx” is equally immersive, evoking a fever dream with its unsettling harmonies and unpredictable tempo shifts. The sheer density of the arrangement makes repeated listens essential to fully grasp the song’s nuances. The album’s midpoint is marked by the brief yet haunting interludes “NEWYORKCITY” and “Goldstar,” both under a minute long but packed with atmospheric tension. 

Yoshiko Ohara’s haunting vocals in “NEWYORKCITY” elevate the track into an eerie, abstract performance. In contrast, the title track acts as a sinister palate cleanser before launching into the record’s second half. The brevity of these interludes only adds to their unsettling quality, giving the sense of fragmented transmissions from a decaying world. “Rot Moderne” stands out, delivering an apocalyptic sermon of atonal guitars and crushing percussion. It masterfully conveys the band’s overarching themes of urban decay and decadence. “Pleasuredome” follows, featuring Haake and Lombardo, a rhythmic onslaught blurs the line between technical proficiency and sheer sonic chaos. The drumming on this track alone leaves listeners in awe, a relentless, shifting force that propels the song forward like an unhinged machine. Lombardo’s aggressive attack and Haake’s meticulous precision make this one of the album’s most exhilarating moments. 

Closing the album is “Industry of Misery,” a sprawling seven-minute finale that encapsulates Goldstar’s thematic core. The song is relentless in its bleakness, with passages oscillating between suffocating heaviness and eerie, jazz-tinged dissonance. It leaves the listener with an overwhelming sense of unease, the sonic equivalent of witnessing a metropolis crumble under the weight of its excess. The shifting dynamics and unexpected melodic flourishes provide a rare moment of reflection before plunging back into darkness, making for a harrowing yet strangely hypnotic ending. Imperial Triumphant’s Goldstar is not an easy listen, nor is it meant to be. It is a challenging, immersive, meticulously crafted experience that demands full attention. The band continues to redefine what extreme music can be, proving that chaos and sophistication are not mutually exclusive. The album is an evolution of their signature style and a reaffirmation of their artistic mission. If Goldstar is any indication, Imperial Triumphant remains at the vanguard of avant-garde metal, offering a terrifying yet mesmerizing glimpse into the genre’s future.