By Nate Follmer
Imminence launched their US/Canada tour with a pair of sold out shows at the Thunderbird Music Hall in Pittsburgh. This unique venue was filled with fans of all ages, love and kicked off a few firsts for both bands on this tour.
Starting night two at the Thunderbird Music Hall was Until I Wake. Formed in 2019 in Buffalo, NY, Until I Wake has quickly been making their way up the ranks in the heavy music scene. Even with some line up changes for this tour due to unforeseen circumstances, the bands on stage chemistry and crowd work was on point. I quickly understood how this band has gained an impressive following in such a short period of time. It’s rare you see a venue at capacity for the opening act and Until I Wake played to a full venue two nights in a row. The crowd was singing (and screaming) along to songs like, “Sinking Under”, “Cold” and “Inside My Head”. This was also fill-in vocalist Jaali Cypher’s very first tour and night two was his birthday. Until I Wake ended their set with the crowd singing “Happy Birthday” to Jaali. Not a bad way to start your first tour and to celebrate your birthday.
After Until I Wakes incredible set, Imminence took the stage to a thunderous eruption from the crowd. While this isn’t the first tour for Imminence it is their first tour in the US. They’ve clearly garnered a loyal following based on the number of tour dates that have already sold out and the diverse crowd that was in attendance at the Pittsburgh show, which included one special fan (she was a beast in the circle pit).
Imminence has a unique sound that comes partially from vocalist Eddie Berg’s talents on an instrument you don’t often hear in metalcore – the violin. It finds its place in most of Imminences songs and adds an eerily pleasing sonic element to their material. I was surprised at how well it worked in a live setting. Guitarists Harald Barrett and Alex Arnoldsson, Bassist Christian Höijer and Drummer Peter Hanström went hard and heavy throughout the set and Eddie’s violin parts found their place right in the mix.
Imminence played through a setlist of 17 songs and filled the evening with what I would consider their greatest hits. I’m a big fan of their entire catalog and I didn’t leave the venue feeling like a song was missing. They opened with “Paralyzed”, “Ghost” and “Erase” later followed by their new single “Death by a Thousand Cuts”. A piano-only version of “Alleviate” split the setlist and gave the crowd a quick breather. The band then returned to play songs like “ Chasing Shadows”, “Heaven In Hiding”, “Heaven Shall Burn” and ended the evening with “Temptation”.
This US/Canada tour is short with only a few stops left, but after its early successes I’m sure Imminence will be back for a larger tour in the future. Imminence has a pair of shows in Canada, then MA and NY before heading overseas to play the Download and Full Force Festivals this summer.
