Avant-garde metal trio Imperial Triumphant have unveiled “Hotel Sphinx,” the latest single from their highly anticipated sixth album Goldstar, set for release in 2025 via Century Media Records. Known for pushing boundaries with their dark, genre-blending style, Imperial Triumphant offers fans a haunting new track accompanied by a video that deepens the song’s ominous themes. Directed by the band’s own Steve Blanco, the video for “Hotel Sphinx” is a surreal journey through sinister imagery, perfectly matching the song’s chaotic intensity.
“Hotel Sphinx” begins with a gripping, discordant riff, setting the tone for a track that merges black metal’s intensity with the disorienting unpredictability of free jazz. The band’s intricate compositions channel the unnerving atmosphere of urban landscapes, presenting a nightmarish world where the line between entertainment and exploitation becomes disturbingly thin. The track’s complex layers and shifting time signatures evoke a sense of claustrophobia, immersing listeners in a dark, dissonant soundscape.
The video, visually rich and darkly cinematic, matches the song’s menacing energy, featuring distorted visuals, shadowy corridors, and glimpses of haunting figures. Blanco’s direction brings the “Hotel Sphinx” to life as a nightmarish space, reinforcing the band’s vision of a reality where power and corruption lurk beneath the glitz and glamor.
“Hotel Sphinx” follows the band’s previous single, “Eye of Mars,” which received praise for its chaotic yet atmospheric sound. With Goldstar, Imperial Triumphant continues to redefine the boundaries of extreme music, crafting a sound that embodies the horrors of urban landscapes, blending black metal with jazz influences and experimental production. The album is expected to take fans even further down Imperial Triumphant’s haunting, genre-defying path.
Watch the video for “Hotel Sphinx”: