Imperial Triumphant
Alphaville


4.0
excellent

Review

by Xenophanes EMERITUS
August 14th, 2020 | 361 replies


Release Date: 2020 | Tracklist

Review Summary: “Alphaville” is a self-fulfilling prophecy which sees Imperial Triumphant become the excess and decadence they’ve been mirroring for years.

The oeuvre of Imperial Triumphant is a monolith to thematic singularism. Across three albums, the band has mirrored a twisted Tom Wolfe nightmare of decadence and excess, and as this story has progressed, the band has diverted their Deathspell Omega worship into new, stranger territories. With their latest, Alphaville, the band has embraced more destructive jazz among the variegated black and death metal foundation, but, as always, their approach aligns pretty closely with the “weird” metal of the last decade. with emphasis on odd time signatures and suffocating production. Yet the reliance on their unifying aesthetic is the key differentiator. The big flourishes and art-deco inspired cover help to create this wondrous vision, coming to life in the big band-style chorus of the title track and vaudeville of “Atomic Age.” “Transmission to Mercury” and “Happy Home” stand out as thoughtful experiments, toying with empty space and darker atmospheres, while “Excelsior” calls back to the more upfront aggression of earlier cuts. Collectively, the album is bizarre and uneven, a notable point of evolution for a band whose debut was often muddy and homogenous. This excess of oddness is like a self-fulfilling prophecy for a band who loves to turn the mirror outwards. But its welcome. Alphaville is an adventurous and gorgeous black metal record for one of the most fascinating acts out there.



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user ratings (386)
3.9
excellent
other reviews of this album
Henry (4.5)
Alphaville is a lavish tour of our own future, detailing the most decadent opulence and juxtaposing ...



Comments:Add a Comment 
BallsToTheWall
August 15th 2020


51216 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Rules.

Dimorphic
August 16th 2020


1380 Comments


Alphaville from Imperialist Trumpsupporter, what a classic. Shame it's such an expected formula.

dbizzles
August 17th 2020


15193 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Hoping this grows on me like the last one did, but it was quite the experience nevertheless. I hate the title though lol.

Donchivo
August 18th 2020


1948 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Intrigued for this one! Can't wait to feed it into my head...

Gnocchi
Staff Reviewer
August 18th 2020


18256 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

As much as I like these less is more reviews, goddamn do I love it when Xeno drops 4-5 paragraphs of fun.



@faderjack, it might be down to perception or "taste" but it doesn't read with a level of unfamiliarity.

JohnnyoftheWell
Staff Reviewer
August 18th 2020


60233 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

"I'm also a little confused on the descriptor "suffocating" for the production, on one of the most pristine sounding black metal-adjacent records I've ever heard"



can't speak for their older records, but loosely agreed. I think the arrangement is 'suffocating' (aka oppressive/overwhelming in its layers of dissonance), but the production is quite accommodating in how it frames this. love the production, this is exactly how I'd want a 2020 metal alb to sound - excited to dive back in.

Demon of the Fall
August 18th 2020


33570 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

So you work for their label/are in the band/have some investment in this?

GhostB1rd
August 23rd 2020


7938 Comments


Does this go hard in the paint?

Slex
August 25th 2020


16508 Comments


Kween

mindleviticus
August 26th 2020


10486 Comments


So good

magicuba
August 31st 2020


1447 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Quite a unique approach. Sometimes it feels I am listening to Portal, then a Deathspell Omega structure comes and it dissolves in sad jazz. I see why people call it pretentious, but it's not bad at all. It just struggles a little bit to come together coherently.

Demon of the Fall
August 31st 2020


33570 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

This is very cohesive all things considered. Sucks that this is the default review now (no offence, I just ‘lost’ all my previous comments, haha).

Deez
September 7th 2020


10313 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

https://youtu.be/7neRgq4ivlY





'Supported' Behemoth on a live stream last night but its available for free for 24 hours I think. Shits great obviously. So glad theyre getting a bit of shine,finally.



DDDeftoneDDD
September 7th 2020


22100 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Will check it this night for sure. Tks Deez.

Deez
September 7th 2020


10313 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Its absolutely wonderful mate.

Donchivo
September 8th 2020


1948 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

wow, I have to admit that this one is really tough on me... so far, I wasn't able to really getting into it. Definitely interesting though...

DDDeftoneDDD
September 8th 2020


22100 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

shit the show is supercool!!!! I want to kill someone with these commercials though .!.

GhostB1rd
September 8th 2020


7938 Comments


lol my Janelle Monae comment got deleted.

Deez
September 8th 2020


10313 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Commercials??dude ad block

Dylan620
September 9th 2020


5870 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

I love how "City Swine" successfully text-paints the phrase "it's time to die"



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