Album Review: Imminence – Axis Mundi
Reviewed by Matthew Caldwell
It’s been a busy couple of years for Imminence, having re-recorded their first album, and the Swedish outfit continue to push the boundaries of the genre with Axis Mundi. Yes, this is the metalcore band with the violinist, and they’ve made the violin an integral part of their identity rather than a gimmick.
Imminence have clearly poured an enormous amount of ambition into Axis Mundi, and the band aren’t shy when it comes to exploring their emotional side, but it is wrapped up in a huge ball of intensity and distortion.
The album demonstrates straight away what’s in store. ‘Twisting in the Wind’ is soft and melancholic before it reveals its harsh reality. Vocalist Eddie Berg is absolutely devastating in his delivery. This continues with ‘The Sword That Never Bends’, a song which featured on the preceding four-track EP, If Not Now, When. If played live, it’s easy to imagine the chorus being bellowed back at them by the fans.
‘Devil May Try’ is a high point, erupting with a thunderous intro. Listeners of a certain age will be reminded of a certain hack ’n’ slash video game. In fact, the song suits Devil May Cry perfectly. The track marries crushing brutality with emotional elegance, weaving the two together in a seemingly intricate dance.
‘Crestfallen’, ‘False Light’ and ‘If Not Now, When’ complete the aforementioned EP. These are all strong songs, and that may be where it runs into a slight problem. The rest of the album struggles with repetition, except for ‘Didn’t Think About You (Lately)’, which actually feels out of place in the context of the rest of the record.
The issue isn’t the theme of the album: the duality works brilliantly well. The problem is the lack of variation. There is little change in the plodding atmosphere, with much of the album occupying a similar emotional and sonic space. Fans of that sound may find this to be the band’s strength. None of these songs are executed poorly. In fact, this is a band that has previously set its own bar extremely high. The issue is not one of quality, but of variation.
Despite this, the album ends strongly. ‘Power Divine’ highlights why Berg sometimes gets compared to Will Ramos of Lorna Shore. The emotion and control shown here are masterful.
Finally, ‘Exodus’ closes the chapter superbly. It’s huge, haunting, and Alex Arnoldsson’s guitar solo shows not only his technical ability, but his restraint – an overlooked skill in the world of lead guitarists. This all comes together with a stunning piano and violin duet.
It’s beautiful. It’s heartbreaking. But contained within is grace, hope, and a very promising future.
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