On April 12, 2024, the phenomenal symphonic metalcore band from Sweden, “Imminence,” released their incredible fifth studio album The Black.
Be prepared to dive into a whole new experience with The Black, as Imminence take a very different and innovative approach to this new album. Compared to their earlier pieces, Imminence not only experiments with unique compositions, but also portray deeply thought out lyrics.
The first track on the album “Come Hell or High Water” beautifully sets the tone for what awaits us. It foreshadows the descend into the darkness, or the black. The song has a hint of folk metal that in combination with the ethereal sound of the violin creates this haunting, yet powerful feel. A mix, that lead to fans calling Imminence’s style “violincore.” The song starts out with heavily distorted drums and vocals before slowly building up in intensity and our journey towards towards the black begins.
“Desolation” tries to find a way to escape the horrors, pleading for mercy.
“This is the black
~ “Desolation”
There’s no coming back
Back from the darkness
How did I become so heartless?”
It emphasizes the hopelessness of the situation. The question of how life with its darker facets can turn the purest of heart into heartless monsters. The darkness, or the black if you so will, is imminent and there is no escape. The song doubles down on the impending doom “Come Hell or High Water” prepared us for.
“Heaven Shall Burn” immediately starts out with heavy drums and incredibly piercing violins, before seamlessly transitioning into a powerful guitar riff, accompanying the impressive scream vocals. The song conveys a strong “end of time” feeling, not only telling us that there is no remedy, but that there isn’t even an escape to heaven, as even heaven shall burn.
“When all hope is gone
~ Heaven Shall Burn
And the end is nigh
The sound of a thousand cries
Tonight
Heaven shall burn”
As we can see, the way the lines are delivered has a biblical touch, not only based on the themes discussed, but also because of the wording. Listening to the song itself, Imminence prove that their name is program, as the impending doom feels more than imminent.
“Beyond the Pale” is another track dealing with heavy topics of despair. Lyrics like,
“Abide with me ’cause I can’t sleep
~ Beyond the Pale
Heavy lies the crown”
discuss the burden that lies on the protagonist, as well as the wish to find a companion who is willing to share such a burden. The song also deals with the fight against the inner demons and death as a form of release, or freedom. Going beyond the pale is a pivotal point on the protagonist’s journey and a profound metamorphosis, changing them forever.
“Death by a Thousand Cuts” might just be one of the most impressive songs on the album. The intense delivery of the lyrics, combined with the energetic, yet melodic mix of guitar and drums make it so we can vividly imagine the scenario described by the title.
“The writing’s on the wall
~ Death by a Thousand Cuts
The rise before the fall”
The song gives us lines that hint towards a possible failure or fall in the future, even if it seems as though we are moving in a better direction. A thousand little things pile up, ultimately leading to the downfall. The slowly approaching, but inevitable end. The music video only emphasizes the message, as a thousand insects, presumably cicadas, swarm the lead singer, Eddie Berg, cutting him with their wings.
Watch the music video to “Death by a Thousand Cuts” below
“Come What May” talks about the prison that is the pain and the darkness. The protagonist has chosen a path that led them down towards a dire fate.
“For better or for worse
~ Come What May
Come what may”
For better or for worse, the only way to go is forward. He is so deep in the black that it doesn’t even matter if what comes makes it better or worse. After heavy scream vocals, the song ends with a hauntingly beautiful, yet powerful mix of violins, drums and guitar, once again portraying one of the many aspects that make Imminence so special in the metalcore scene.
“Cul-de-Sac” is a formidable and ominous-sounding instrumental interlude, playing with a rhythmic rattling, similar to the sound of a firefly’s wings, and the signature violin. A cul-de-sac is a dead end, or a road leading nowhere. We are now more than halfway deep into The Black and this song is clearly telling us that there is no way out. “Cul-de-Sac” is the first of three purely instrumental pieces with a French title on the album.
“The Call of the Void” once again follows the dreadful prospect of the end of everything. But rather than it sounding desperate, or sad, it feels like the protagonist is facing the horrors head on, without fear.
“Rage, rage against the dying of the light
~ The Call of the Void
Rage, rage against the dying of the light”
This passage was taken from the 1951 poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas. The core message of this poem is that life is precious and that it should always be fought for. Even if the world is burning and the end is upon us, we shall fight to the last breath. The inclusion of such a line from a poem like this goes to show how intensely the band has studied the concepts behind the topics of their songs for this album.
“Continuum” starts out with strong scream vocals before, in the chorus, switching over to what might be the most soothing and melodic vocal section yet. It beautifully transitions into another iconic violin bridge, before returning to the chillingly raw scream vocals. As the title suggests, the song deals with the ever-turning wheels of time. The approaching tragedy and the only constant being death. However, in two instances, this song also plays with the continuum of the album itself, mentioning “Come Hell or High Water”
“Born in fear
~ Continuum
Come hell or high water
Kneel to the altar
Death to my woes”
and ending the song with the exact instrumental section from one of the previous tracks, “Cul-de-Sac.”
Watch the “Continuum” music video below:
The blue, dreamlike atmosphere of the music video, as well as the scenes in which time seems to move backwards, add so much meaning to the experience that is “Continuum.” It emphasizes the question of the directionality of time, portraying the concept that it might not all flow in a straight line.
“L’appel du Vide” continues the trend of purely instrumental tracks with French titles. It is a French translation of “The Call of the Void.” The song starts out with a soothing guitar riff before adding on synths and drums. The void calls out soothingly and seductively, before taking over our minds with all its might.
Before we get into the finale of the album, let’s have a look at the creation process behind The Black
After a long and dark road, we arrive at the track the whole album has been building up to. “The Black” introduces us to an unusual sound for the album. An appeasing intro, consisting of piano, violin and melodic vocals eases us into the song. However, it wouldn’t be long before the heavy drums set in again. The vocals elegantly switch between a melodic singing voice and piercing metal scream throughout the track, especially emphasizing “the black.” The protagonist tried and failed to alleviate the pain and escape the darkness, but once again, death is the only way towards freedom.
“The Black” is a masterfully crafted finale to the album, skillfully combines instruments, vocals and lyrics, creating the ultimate peak in the experience that might be Imminence’s best album yet.
As we bid farewell to this future classic of an album, the final track, “Le Noir” (“The Black”) gives us one last soothing instrumental outro. It has to be said, Imminence deserve so much respect for creating multiple, purely instrumental tracks, where one would usually just expect a short interlude. The violin that makes the mixture with metalcore so special, has its time to shine in them. “Le Noir” plays back the same violin melody as the one in the previous track “The Black” and expands on it beautifully.
No matter if this is the first metalcore album you’re listening to, or if you’re a long-time fan of the genre, Imminence has created an outstanding piece of art that is bound to be cited in the creation of many metalcore albums to follow.
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