A band from New York City, Imperial Triumphant, is perhaps one of the most unique in the modern Heavy Metal scene. Possessing a fusion of styles ranging from Death Metal to Jazz Fusion and other Progressive Metal elements, over the course of five studio albums, they have continued to push the boundaries of their sound while consistently attracting new listeners. Now returning in 2025 with their highly anticipated sixth studio album, Goldstar, the trio of Vocalist/Guitarist Zachary Ezrin, Drummer Kenny Grohowski, and Bassist/Vocalist/Keyboardist Steve Blanco further solidifies their experimental approach to music.
An album that arrived on March 21, 2025, through Century Media, Goldstar finds the band touring consistently around the USA early this spring before they jet over to the European region in the fall. An exciting time for a band that is following up on the acclaimed 2022 album Spirit of Ecstasy, one other aspect of Imperial Triumphant… their theatrical imagery. Strong on visual elements, the band is famous for Art Deco-style masks to match their dystopian-themed music, and clearly, this derives from history, culture, and the arts, which includes movies.
Very well-versed in the visual arts, Imperial Triumphant is made up of avid film fans who dig deep into the symbolism, mood, and atmosphere of what they watch. With this in mind, the collective recently revealed their top ten Horror movies with thoughtful, introspective insight.
10) Event Horizon (1997): Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, this is a terrifying blend of Sci-fi and Horror that delves into the horrors of interdimensional travel, where the malevolent forces unleashed by a lost spaceship serve as an allegory for the fragility of the human psyche, while the film’s haunting visuals and intense atmosphere make it a relentlessly disturbing experience.
9) Jaws (1975): Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jaws is a thrilling adventure that masterfully combines superior filmmaking techniques to create an unrelenting sense of fear while also functioning as a powerful allegory for societal anxiety and governmental propaganda, as the primal forces lurking beneath the surface threaten to expose the lies and unravel civilization. Unbelievable performance by the late Robert Shaw and an iconic minimalist score by John Williams. A 26-year-old director at the helm of such a groundbreaking movie.
8) Antichrist (2009): Directed by Lars von Trier, this one is a harrowing allegory of grief, guilt, and human savagery. It serves as a benchmark in filmmaking with its uncompromisingly visceral imagery, psychological torment, and descent into primal chaos that blurs the line between Horror and art. It is a challenging and bleak spiritual journey.
7) Mad God (2021): Directed by Phil Tippett, Mad God is a nightmarish descent into a grotesque, dystopian underworld, where its stop-motion horrorscapes and surreal, wordless narrative evoke a bleak, almost biblical vision of decay, cruelty, and the inexorable collapse of civilization.
6) Funny Games (1997/2007): Directed by Michael Haneke, this is a brutally unsettling deconstruction of violence in media, where the fourth wall is shattered to implicate the audience in its sadistic psychological torment, exposing the fragility of civilized society through an eerily polite yet merciless descent into chaos. Both versions are incredible.
5) The Thing (1982): Directed by John Carpenter, The Thing is a harrowing allegory for the collapse of society, where the paranoia-fueled isolation of an Antarctic outpost serves as a chilling microcosm of humanity’s unraveling as a shapeshifting cosmic virus erodes trust, identity, and the very fabric of civilization itself. Possibly Carpenter’s magnum opus with an unbelievably amazing minimalist score by Ennio Morricone and Carpenter.
4) Hour of the Wolf (1968): Directed by Ingmar Bergman, this film is a deeply unsettling Psychological Horror that blurs the line between reality and nightmare. It plunges into an artist’s unraveling mind through eerie symbolism, grotesque hallucinations, and an oppressive atmosphere of existential dread. It is a sinister, abstract masterpiece of darkness.
3) Ringu (1998): Directed by Hideo Nakata, Ringu is a chilling exploration of cursed media and vengeful spirits. The eerie, Minimalist Horror is steeped in folklore, subconscious dread, and a creeping sense of inevitability, manifesting through abstract imagery and the inescapable reach of an unseen, malevolent force.
2) The Shining (1980): Directed by Stanley Kubrick, this adaptation is a dark descent into madness, layered with cryptic symbolism, sacred geometry, and unsettling abstractions, where the Overlook Hotel becomes a labyrinthine void of temporal dissonance, occult undertones, and inescapable psychological terror. One of the most unique films ever made.
1) The Exorcist (1973): Directed by William Friedkin, The Exorcist is a deeply unsettling Horror film about the demonic possession of a young girl and the spiritual battle to save her. Its eerie prologue in Iraq sets an ominous, occult-infused tone by introducing the ancient, supernatural forces that will later become known. The entire cast delivers unforgettable performances, and Friedkin masterfully directs the film.
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