Song of the Day: Imminence – ‘The Black’

Since last summer, Swedish alternative metalcore ensemble Imminence has been rolling out a handful of singles in preparation of their new album, ‘The Black’. Ahead of its April 12th release, the quintet have shared its title track. ‘The Black’ exemplifies what Imminence are all about; weaving in rich orchestration with ferocious metalcore, which equally takes influence from the genre’s past and Scandinavian metal’s long history. It’s a compelling number, delivered with fierce power and graceful elegance.

Opening with Eddie Berg’s sweeping violin and soothing voice, guitarists Harald Barrett and Alex Arnoldsson, drummer Peter Hanström and bass player Christian Höijer combine to deliver intense, quick blasts. By the track’s conclusion, Hanström’s rapid-fire drum work effortlessly complements the grandiose orchestration on show. Furthermore, Berg’s words capture the darker tone the album ventures into. Its lyrics tonally capture Berg’s mental desperation, pleading “would you follow me to the edge? would you follow me into the black?”

‘The Black’ is the sixth track to be shared from the forthcoming album of the same name. Consisting of 12 songs, ‘The Black’ promises to solidify Imminence‘s position as a major player in current metalcore. Past singles, ‘Come Hell or High Water’, ‘Desolation’, ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’, and ‘Continuum’ highlight the musical breadth ‘The Black’ explores. It’s the sound of a band sounding as bold as ever, creating heavy, emotive soundscapes in the process.

Despite forming in 2010, Imminence have only considerably come into their own over the last few years. 2021’s ‘Heaven In Hiding’ along with its 2022 deluxe edition, followed by the ‘Live in S:t Nicolai’ EP, elevated their status. Last year saw ‘Live in Session’ performances go viral across social media, resulting in a surge of streams in just a matter of months. Nevertheless, Imminence are far from a viral flash-in-the-pan, each song from ‘The Black‘ has arrived with high expectations and an increasing demand to see the quintet live.

Their upcoming US tour in the spring follows last year’s first venture Stateside, which was completely sold out with some venues being upgraded not just once but twice. UK fans will be able to witness Imminence and ‘The Black’ when they play the Download Festival on Sunday, June 16th.

1. Come Hell or High Water
2. Desolation
3. Heaven Shall Burn4. Beyond the Pale
5. Death by a Thousand Cuts
6. Come What May
7. Cul-de-Sac
8. The Call of the Void
9. Continuum
10. L’appel du Vide
11. The Black
12. Le NoirPre-order ‘The Black’ here