Out Today: IMPERIALIST - black metal from California, USA

IMPERIALIST

Prime

Transcending Obscurity Records

5 September 2025

DISCOGRAPHY

Quantum Annexation (EP) 2015

Cipher (full-length) 2018

Zenith (full-length) 2021

Quantum (EP) 2023

Prime (full-length) 2025

With this new 2025 album, American black metal band Imperialist (2013–present) presents tight, fast, and intense songs; an awesome work made for movement and action. I don't think this band wants listeners sitting still or falling asleep! There are lots of memorable riffs, a combination of black metal and thrash, in their songwriting, with sharp solos and melodies. This album was mixed and mastered by the legendary Dan Swanö. Expect a professional sound with the clarity of thrash that lets the listener hear the music, from the bass guitar to the vocals and drums.

Their 2018 full-length album featured lyrics that felt like intense documentaries on astronomy or stories of intergalactic travels, wars, and empires, almost completely devoid of humans or living beings, a people-less narration, for the most part. Since I don’t have the lyrics to the new album, I am unable to say much about this, but one song’s lyrics available on Metal Archives at this point do include humans in conflict with artificial intelligence machines.

The music is very well done, especially for fans of black metal and thrash. On the other hand, for audiences who think all black metal has unprofessional or unlistenable production, this album might just be the start of changing that perspective. You can definitely hear the music. In addition, the vocals, while staying within the black metal genre, are generally not too difficult to understand.

Prime by IMPERIALIST

https://www.facebook.com/Imperialistofficial