Imperial Triumphant – Spirit Of Ecstasy (2022; Bandcamp) – Avant Music News

Labels can be both enlightening and limiting. New York trio Imperial Triumphant is an avant-garde death metal band. That description alone might result in their being dismissed by some listeners. On the other hand, Spirit of Ecstasy includes numerous guest musicians that might pique these same listeners’ interest, including Percy Jones, Colin Marsten, Alex Skolnick, Trey Spruance, and SEVEN)SUNS on strings. Moreover, Imperial Triumphant’s drummer is Kenny Grohowski, known for his many collaborations with John Zorn.

For anyone not familiar with death metal, you’ll need to get over the growled and (occasionally) screamed vocals by Zachary Ezrin as well as the overall “wall of distortion” approach. But with enough patience, you will find that the group’s output is diverse, hyper-technical, and erudite.

Take Tower Of Glory, City Of Shame, for example. It begins with a string passage accompanied by a voiceover. The strings rapidly grow chaotic until a twisted riff takes the fore. But this section transforms in character as the strings return with more prominent vocals. A bridge includes spoken words over wailing before returning to a take on more conventional death metal approach, albeit one interrupted by field recordings.

The noir aspects of the album continue on Merkurius Gilded. Again, the strings kick things off, but this time into a dense passage supported by speed picking and blast beats. This track also features backing vocals, a second guitar, and a sax solo. Its second half even includes a Magma-like chant.

The richness within Spirit Of Ecstasy, however, can be easy to miss. The mix is a bit muddy and dense, making it difficult to discern individual instruments. A casual listener might not pick up how much is going on. This is a common issue with death metal albums.

But that is no reason to let this one slip by. If any of the above whets your interest, start with In the Pleasure of Their Company. It is a proggy-yet-outside instrumental piece with contributions from Jones, Skolnick, and Spruance, plus trombone and trumpet.

Ultimately, Spirit of Ecstasy demands repeated listens. Beneath its thunderous distortion lies carefully crafted layers of strings, horns, voices, and field recordings that reward the patient. This is death metal on the edge – smart and idiosyncratic.