Who had "Kenny G. plays sax on a death metal song" on their 2022 collaboration scorecard? Though it's something you might not have expected, it works marvelously well as the legendary sax player perfectly adds to the cacophony of heavy brutality being laid down in the the new Imperial Triumphant song "Merkurius Gilded." And the performance turns out to be a family affair as Kenny G's son Max Gorelick also turns up on the track.
Kenny G. is one of the best-selling artists of all-time, playing soprano, alto and tenor sax while becoming a superstar in the smooth jazz genre. After starting his solo career in the early '80s, he's collaborated with Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Smokey Robinson, Patti LaBelle, Andrea Bocelli, Aaron Neville and many more, and now you can add Imperial Triumphant to that list.
The musician also turns up in the video for the song, though you might miss him at first. He's masked and mysterious tucked away standing still in a corner, until emerging mid video to take center stage, his curly locks peering out the backside of his mask as he unleashes a breathtaking sax solo perfectly complimenting the wall of guitar and drum chaos.
The clip, directed by the band's own Steve Blanco, is a decadent promo showcasing the band in a pull back visual playing amongst a group of beauties watching on as they crush their lavish surroundings. "What once was a gilded age of industry and exceptional growth only to be stricken with panic that shall leave the common man in the dust, dried up and faded away. Merkurius looks down upon Forty Second Street mobs releasing their fortunes into the sky of ignorance," state the group of the song.
As for how the sax superstar ended up on an Imperial Triumphant song, the group tells Loudwire, “Kenny’s son Max is a good friend of the band’s and has collaborated with us in the past. He was even a live member for a few tours in 2017. Zachary asked if he and his father would be interested in doing a duet on our new album. The rest is history and we are grateful.”
Kenny and Max are just two of the guests turning up on the band's new album. The group already released the song "Maximalist Scream" featuring Snake of Voivod fame, and others turning up on the Spirit of Ecstasy album that's due July 22 include Testament's Alex Skolnick, Mr. Bungle's Trey Spruance, Andromeda Anarchia, Sarai Woods, horn players J. Walter Hawkes and Ben Hankle, Percy Jones, SEVEN)SUNS, Colin Marston and Jonas Rolef.
The full track listing and artwork for Spirit of Ecstasy can be viewed below, while pre-orders are being taken at this location. And you can look for Imperial Triumphant on tour, with their 2022 dates listed below.
Imperial Triumphant featuring Kenny G. + Max Gorelick, "Merkurius Gilded"
Imperial Triumphant, Spirit of Ecstasy Album Artwork + Track Listing
Century Media Records
Century Media Records1. Chump Change
2. Metrovertigo
3. Tower of Glory, City of Shame
4. Merkurius Gilded
5. Death on a Highway
6. In The Pleasure of Their Company
7. Bezumnaya
8. Maximalist Scream
Imperial Triumphant 2022 Tour Dates
June 16 – Vienna, Austria @ Viper Room Vienna
July 29 – Baltimore, Md. @ Ottobar
July 30 – Youngstown, Ohio @ Into the Darkness Fest
July 31 – Rochester, N.Y. @ Montage Music Hall
Aug. 10 - Jaroměř, Czechia @ Brutal Assault
Aug. 12 – Oxfordshire, England @ SUPERNORMAL FEST
Aug. 13 – Manchester, England @ The White Hotel
Aug. 14 – Glasgow, Scotland @ Stereo
Aug. 15 – Belfast, England @ Voodoo
Aug. 16 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Grand Social
Aug. 18 - Somerset, England @ ArcTanGent Festival
Aug. 19 – London, England @ The Dome
Aug. 20 - Méan, Belgium @ MÉTAL MÉAN
Aug. 21 - Brittany, France @ MOTOCULTER
Aug. 23 - Madrid, Spain @ Moby Dick
Aug. 24 – Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Upload
Aug. 25 – Toulon, France @ L'Hélice
Aug. 26 – Mantova, Italy @ The Academy
Aug. 27 – Winterthur, Switzerland @ Gaswerk
Aug. 28 – Strasbourg, France @ La Maison Bleue
Aug. 29 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Merleyn
Aug. 30 – Hamburg, Germany @ Hafenklang
Aug. 31 – Aalborg, Denmark @ 1000 Fryd
Sept. 1 – Oslo, Norway @ Bla
Sept. 2 – Goteborg, Sweden @ Fangelset
Sept. 3 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Hotel Cecil
Sept. 8 – Leipzig, Germany @ Bandhaus
Sept. 9 – Tel Aviv, Israel @ Gagarin
