In 2025, Canadian hard rock/metal veteran Ian Blurton released ‘Crimes of The City’, the second album to credit his band Future Now. With nods to Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult and 70s era Judas Priest, the album pitched itself very squarely in the direction of the older melodic metal fan, but with ten solid sounding tracks and no obvious filler, it was the kind of record that proved that old school sounds can still be very effective.

This swiftly delivered follow up, appearing in the autumn of 2026, offers more of the same, with Blurton and his cohorts working on the age old theory that you can’t fix what ain’t broken… For those who loved ‘Crimes’, it’ll be a treat; for those who missed ‘Crimes’ upon release, this has just as much chance of being overlooked, sadly, as is the scourge of living in a digital age where new rock and metal sounds hit streaming services and the likes of Bandcamp on a daily basis.

Nevertheless, at its best, ‘Imperial Filth’ is great. ‘Gallery of Scars’ opens the record in rather grand style, presenting orchestral elements against muted guitars over an extended intro, immediately presenting something a bit more adventurous than the typical Future Now fare. The slightly grandiose style suggests something BOC-esque incoming, but the band take an even more dramatic turn into melodic metal fare via a selection of chugging riffs and huge vocals, both of which owe more to ‘The Cage’ era Tygers of Pan Tang. The way a choir of harmony vocals fleshes out the chorus further accentuates Blurton’s melodic side, setting a brilliant contrast in place. If you came for riffs and love things with a strong 80s feel, this will offer an instant treat. Sliding into ‘You Better Get Ready’ the band takes a heavier turn, sharing riffs that sound like they’ve been lifted straight from Judas Priest’s ‘Stained Class’, not just in terms of tempo and sharpness, but also in tone. The heart of the performance sounds almost exactly like KK Downing and Glenn Tipton delivering bits of ‘Saints In Hell’ and ‘Invader’, and although the recycled elements of old school metal are as a subtle as a flying hammer here, the overall execution is perfect. Coupled with a clean and melodic vocal, this track gives ‘Imperial Filth’ an immediate standout track.

Another foray into Priest-ish territory, the riffs that power ‘Siren of The Song’ recycle a strong late 70s metal sound to great effect, and again, the twin lead moments are superb. The sharp edges are a good fit for the lead vocal, despite Ian’s vocal never venturing into anything that requires a huge wail. The contrast between the sharp guitar sounds and his more AOR/melodic metal influenced voice works well here, and for those keeping a slightly closer ear, Anna Ruddick’s bass brings a pleasing warmth to an otherwise treble-oriented recording. This isn’t as powerful as ‘You Better Get Ready’, but a few spins will certainly reveal one of Future Now’s catchier offerings. The bass comes through a little more on parts of the spiky ‘The Jokes Write Themselves’, an 80s metal banger driven by busy vocals and featuring more twin lead guitar parts from Blurton and Aaron Goldstein than were possibly even necessary. This tip of the hat to old school melodic metal comes with a tempo that gives drummer Glen Mitchem an even bigger workout than usual, and he hammers his kit in a way that adds some great, deep sounding tom work to the band’s already powerful approach.

In a swift change of mood, Ian and his cohorts drop the tempo for the verses of ‘Heaven Is A Long Way From Home’. This results in something that’s less interesting on a musical level, despite retaining Blurton’s beloved twin lead guitar sounds. It also highlights a few vocal limitations. However, a bit of extra punch on the chorus and a fine melodic hook redresses the balance enough to make the performance hold up, before a strange, slightly bendy sounding lead break offers something a little different from a bog standard shred-fest. There are strong 1974 era BOC vibes cutting through this track; for some, that’ll be enough to bring a lot of enjoyment – and that’s certainly valid with regards the chunkier sounding second half of this number – but it doesn’t quite have the focus of this album’s very best tracks. That said, that only makes it good rather than great…

A number that appears to bring together most of the band’s influences, the first section of ‘Settlers Forge’ pushes the 80s twin leads to the fore, but manages to couple them with a moodier rhythm section who sound like they’re channelling the 70s far more than usual, while Blurton’s vocals bring a hint of glam rock. Just as you think you know where this track’s best interests lie, the band switch gears and drop into a riff and melody that sounds more like ‘Spectres’ era Blue Oyster Cult than BOC themselves have managed in a long time. If this were intended as a genuine tribute it’s perfect; the harmony vocals on this track are especially good, and the soaring guitar lines during the final bars create something almost as impressive. If, somehow, this just came to Blurton and his friends naturally, then more power to them: it’s clearer than ever here how much of an affinity Future Now have for serving up classic sounding hard rock as well as trad metal fare. If it weren’t for the first ninety seconds or so delivering a musical red herring, this would be ‘Imperial Filth’s standout track, without question. Even at the tail end of the album, the strength in the material is clear, with ‘Shadow Work’ offering another Tygers/Priest blend where the harmonic guitar sounds reign, and a solid rhythmic chug taps into a fine strain of melodic metal. The riffs are so good that the vocals occasionally feel a little surplus, but in presenting Future Now in really tight form, this track is another winner…even if it actually sounds like something you’ve already heard from them several times at this point.

There are times when ‘Imperial Filth’ feels slicker than Future Now’s ‘Crimes of The City’, but it manages to be so without diluting too much of the band’s old school melodic metal punch. It’s arguably a better record – and certainly one that fans of classic/traditional hard rock and metal should check out. The very best of its ten numbers share the kind of metal hooks that will take you straight back to the late 70s and early 80s, and the fact that Ian Blurton has been able to create something so authentic without sounding like a half-arsed pastiche gives the material a genuine strength. A highly recommended disc.

October 2026