During the days between the rise of North American Thrash Metal (when Death Metal and Black Metal went into the depths of underground and seemed to be dead), Quorthon on "Under the Sign of the Black Metal" and Per Yngve Ohlin (AKA Dead, the legendary vocalist of MAYHEM) started a revolution on Black Metal lyrics: they left behind the usual (and childish) 'hells' and 'satans' to use a different approach, using somber references to create the right sensation for the genre. So to be attached to a form of writing lyrics isn't a good feature, and the North American quartet IMPERIALIST pushed things into a different point of view on "Zenith".

The band plays into a traditional Black Metal form of what is heard in the North American scene (the mix between Black Metal with some evident German Thrash Metal elements), but using Sci-fi lyrics. And it matches their nasty and brutal musical work, tempered with nasty and harsh subjective melodies. There are rhythmic transitions that will remember CELTIC FROST's early days, but they own a personality behind this storm of energy. It's a very good work, indeed. The sonority of "Zenith" is really very good. They have chosen something that is clean and defined, with everything on its due places and very good instrumental tunes. The aggressiveness of their music lies on the songs. And this is a very good strategy for those who really want to have a better way into the scene.

Their musical attack is really very good, and will earn them some more fans. And songs as the fast and catchy "The Maw" (excellent guitar riffs and rhythmic shifts), the sharp swarm of aggressive melodies of "Parallax Descends" (very good and different snarls and shrieks from the vocals) and of "He Who Mastered Shapes" (with a focus on a slower set of rhythms, what improves the understanding of their excellent work on the guitars arrangements), the piledriving Black/Thrash attack of "Majesty of the Void" and "Terminal Odyssey", and the very good rhythmic contrasts of "Beyond the Celestial Veil" (very good parts from bass guitar and drums) are offerings that all the fans of EMPEROR, DISSECTION and others on this way will like. Honestly, if you're a Metal fan, you'll like it for sure.

"Zenith" is really a great release, and will improve IMPERIALIST fans' ranks. So pay attention to their work, and be one of them.