Chesapeake, VA – Imperial Triumphant brought the heavy to Riffhouse Pub with support from Atlanta’s Cloak, New York City’s Couch Slut and local support was provided by Norfolk’s Lichen.
Kicking things off was Lichen, a black metal outfit whose songs involve nature as opposed to the usual topics that bands of this sub genre cover. They played as a two-piece as the bass player Samuel Fox was indisposed. It has been some time since they last performed live and it was good to them throw down.
Lichen SETLIST
Saprotrophic Reincarnation
Spore
The Torch Of The Mind Lights The Path To Glory
In The Gloaming Doom
Satan My Master (Bathory Cover)
I was one of a number of people who had no idea what to expect from Couch Slut. I thought the band name was funny. Megan O, the lead singer paced in a circle around the dance floor while drinking a beer, singing and briefly interacting with the crowd while the band played onstage. She had blood running down her face and I have no idea how that happened. Megan took the time to tell the crowd that they had t-shirts for sale that are pornographic and as a result people made a beeline for their merch table after their set. While I expected Imperial Triumphant to play the trumpet during one of their songs, I did not expect Couch Slut to do so until Amy Mills played trumpet during the song “I’m 14”. Toward the end of the set Zachary Ezrin of Imperial Triumphant joined the band for one song. I’m on the fence as to Couch Slut’s music but a number of people in the crowd enjoyed them and some had seen them live previously.
In one of the most no-nonsense performances I have ever seen, Cloak just came out and laid the place to waste!!! I have read a few articles about Cloak and their music, all I know is that they are tight live and take no prisoners. It was one of the best sets by any band I have ever seen or heard.
I have also read a lot about Imperial Triumphant and not everyone is onboard with what they do musically. This show gave me the opportunity to hear it live and evaluate it for myself. Basically their music is a combination of black and death metal with some enhancements such as using a trumpet in “Metrovertigo”. I grew up listening to jazz as well as rock and metal, so the more progressive elements of Imperial Triumphant’s music doesn’t bother me at all. It also did not bother the people who rushed the stage to see them play. Amy Mills from Couch Slut joined the band to play trumpet on “Metrovertigo”, which I thought was cool. Overall, this was a fun and brutal show. Although the tour ended on the 12th, if you get a chance to see Cloak or Imperial Triumphant live, do it!!!
Imperial Triumphant SETLIST
Tower of Glory
City of Shame
Atomic Age
Metrovertigo
Bass Solo
Merkurius Gilded
Transmission to Mercury
Devs est Machina
Chump Change
Swarming Opulence
Show Date: 2-10-2023
