Imminence has recently been taking up the metal community by storm with their unique variation of metal. Modernized with classic influences from their Swedish roots, their fresh album, The Black, offers a unique realm of instrumental textures and vocal techniques not seen much by the music world today. And for those who haven’t heard of Imminence, an initial visual uniqueness is the violin held in the hands of the lead vocalist. Yep. You heard that right.
While we can talk up the new album for a long while… it’s been a recent obsession of ours right now… we joined up with the band in Northern California on their first ever full US tour. We’ve been looking forward to this moment since 2018, and wow, was it worth the wait.
See photos from the performance here:
It was a Monday night with a packed house at Sacramento’s Ace of Spades. Just moments before the band joined the stage, the crowd roared their name. An instrumental track played in the background as the darkness of the room built up in tension and anticipation.
Imminence began the night with “Paralyzed,” “Ghost,” and “Beyond the Pale” before an older hit, “Erase” was met with even more cheer. The mosh pits raged. It was after that point that we were able to witness more of the new tracks from the album. The drum and bass thrummed in our bones throughout “Continuum” as the violin and vocals played their own contrasting harmonies. Electric guitar sang its own heavenly tune as well. And in that moment forward, the crowd was fully roped in.
We endured a moment of stillness throughout the performance of “Come Hell Or High Water,” where a sixth instrument came into play – an acoustic guitar, which paired beautifully live with the rest of the ensemble. More moments of quiet and interlude bathed the soundscape, effortlessly so. All part of an experience much more than that of seeing musicians play; we became something more. Something a part of it as the story the band wove for us unfolded.
One of these moments in particular was throughout fan favorite, “Heaven In Hiding.” The lead vocalist took a moment off stage after playing a violin solo to a silent crowd before fabricating in the middle of what was once the mosh pit and then center stage for one of the most intimate experiences we’ve ever witnessed. The crowd respected the space and held their breaths in awe before the night continued on with a renewed vigor.
The night ended with “The Black.” Fittingly as its the self titled track of both the new album and tour. And that moment passed far too soon. As one of the strongest tracks on the album itself, what stunned us most was that with the breathy vibrating screams we heard in the recording were ones that were not performed by seemingly cool production techniques but in actuality, it was the vocalist screaming the lyrics through the violin microphone.
Get your tickets to the remaining dates of the tour!
1 Comment