Imminence reaches their final destination on 'The Return of The Black' Tour accompanied by special guests LANDMVRKS and JILUKA. Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey is the setting for an evening of some of the heaviest music the world has to offer.
Kicking off the bill of all international bands is JILUKA. JILUKA is a Japanese band that is known for their theatrics and intense stage presence. JILUKA classified themselves as a "visual kei" band. Visual kei is a genre and subculture of Japanese music that focuses on extravagant costumes and theatrics that originated in the 1980’s. JILUKA brings visual kei into the metal scene as they play a wide range from progressive metalcore to djent. The band currently consists of Ricko on vocals, Sena on guitar, Boogie on bass and Zyean on drums. The band entered the stage wearing all black with glowing red lights on them which stood out in the pitch black. The crowd gave a huge roar for the opening song “S4VAGE”. Ricko grabbed the microphone and belted out incredible screams and the pit opened up immediately. JILUKA adds elements of electronic music into their songs as it is frequently heard in the songs.
The crowd turned it up a notch when JILUKA played their hit song “VENΦM” which has amassed over two million streams on Spotify since its release as a single in September, 2023. The blast beats on drums from Zyean battered the spectators as everyone felt rattle through their bodies. Sena and Boogie showed their talents as they played a wide variety of heavy fast breakdowns, bouncy riffs and jaw dropping solos. Fans geared up for the chaos of their last song called “Obliterator” from their 2018 album “Metamorphose”. It kicked off with a quick guitar solo and Ricko called for a circle pit. Once the crowd began spinning the band kicked the song into full gear. The band called for a wall of death at the final breakdown. The room split and fans collided into each other at full speed. The band thanked the crowd for an amazing tour and for showing up in numbers early to see them.
Next up was a fan favorite coming all the way from France, LANDMVRKS. LANDMVRKS is a metalcore band from Marseille. LANDMVRKS formed in 2014 and currently consists of vocalist Florentino “Flo” Salfati, guitarists Nicolas Exposito and Paul Cordebard, bassist Rudy Purkat and drummer Kévin D’Agostino. LANDMVRKS is currently signed to Arising Empire and are gearing up for their next album 'The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been' set to release on April 25th. LANDMVRKS is mainly metalcore fused with sub genres such as nu-metal, djent and hardcore punk. LANDMRVKS kicked off their set with the lead single to their upcoming album 'Creature' which was released in January, 2024. Salfati shows off his rapping skills as the first verse of the song is in fluent French. After rapping at light speed, the crowd yelled along with Salfati the next line “I AM THE CREATURE”. The pit opened quickly and the fans began the chaos. Fans take every opportunity to see LANDMVRKS as the band doesn't tour North America that often. They supported metalcore heavyweights Fit For a King and The Devil Wears Prada in 2023 and Miss May I in 2022.
The intensity turned up a notch when LANDMVRKS played “Blistering” from their 2018 album 'Fantasy'. Salfati called for as many crowd surfers as possible. The song started off slow and there were already more than 15 people flying up into the air. Security was kept busy when the song kicked into full gear. I was also being sandwiched between the stage and couldn't move because of all the crowd surfers and trust me, I was all here for it. Fans two stepped all the way up to the breakdown. Cordebard lifted his guitar with one hand in the air and strummed a long note. He grabbed the microphone and demanded New Jersey show theme some chaos. Cordebard, Expositio and Purkat began building up the anticipation as the lights flashed rapidly. They unleashed a slow, but chugging breakdown that had the crowd following through on Cordebard’s request for chaos. D’Agostino added to the chaos as the hits to the snare drum sounded like bombs as it shook everyone to their core. Salfati showed his wide range as he showed his deathcore vocals as his screams became gutturals. LANDMVRKS showed off their softer side for their song “Suffocate” from their 2021 breakthrough album 'Lost In a Wave'. Salfati flexed his skills on acoustic guitar as he played the opening verses to the song all by himself. And of course when the breakdown neared the rest of the band rushed back onto the stage and they returned to their heavy form. LANDMVRKS ended their set with “Self-Made Black Hole” and for the final breakdown they called for a wall of death. The fans delivered yet again and the band thanked everyone for an unbeatable last night of tour. They walked off stage as fans chanted their name
It was time for the final set of 'The Return Of The Black' Tour. All the anticipation led up to this moment. Taking the stage next was Imminence. Imminence is a Swedish metalcore band from Trelleborg. Imminence is currently an independent band that formed in 2009. The group currently consists of vocalist/violinist Eddie Berg, guitarists Harald Barrett and Alex Arnoldsson, bassist Christian Höijer and drummer Peter Hanström. The band was founded by Berg and Barrett then teamed up with Arnoldsson and Hanström in 2012. Höijer was the latest addition in 2018 and the band has held the same lineup ever since. Imminence is known for their unique twist on metalcore involving aspects of symphonic metalcore and melodic metalcore. What stands out above the rest is that Berg plays violin along with lead vocals. The violin has been a main focal point in many tracks since their creation. Their orchestra atmosphere in songwriting and live performance makes them stand out in the scene. Some have labeled them as "violincore".
Imminence has released seven studio albums over the years; their most recent being 'The Return Of The Black' released on March 7th, 2025. 'The Return Of The Black' is an extended version of their 2024 album 'The Black'. The years of grinding and hard work are paying off for the band as they have reached over 1.1 million monthly listeners on spotify. Their most listened to tracks are “Infectious” and “Temptation” both with over 19 million streams on Spotify. This tour is Imminence’s third North American headlining tour. Their first occurred in the winter of 2023 with Until I Wake as support. Their second tour was in the spring of 2024 with support from rising acts Catch your Breath, Of Virtue, Until I Wake and Archers on select dates. Fans appeared in droves to see one of the fastest growing acts in metal right now. Fans province their dedication and support by arriving hours before doors to wait on line in the cold and rain. Fans also followed their eerie medieval fantasy aesthetic by dressing up to fit the theme. Around 20 minutes past 9 p.m., the lights went out and eerie orchestral music played over the venue speakers for a good five minutes. The music suddenly cut off and each member took the stage one by one. The members wore all black dress shirts and pants. Berg wore a wool coat while Barrett wore an all black cloak. Large medieval church windows were lined up on the back of the stage with a dark wall in the middle with logo artwork from “The Black” on it. The same logo is incorporated on the top of the aforementioned church windows. Subtle details such as these go a long way in the production. Scattered around the stage were lanterns that glowed eerily throughout the set along with stage actors dressed in all black cult-like cloaks that added to the vibe of their production.
An all time production is nothing without the music. Imminence kicked off their set with “Paralyzed” from their 2019 album 'Turn the Light On'. Fans watched in awe as Imminence ripped through their songs. It was a true masterpiece from the production to the quality of the performance. The fans loved the symphonic but heavy sound of the set. It had fans moving around in the pit, but also singing along. But Imminence are pioneers when it comes to bending the norms of metal. Upon the release of 'The Return of The Black', they released their heaviest song yet. This track is called “Death Shall Have No Dominion”.
The lights went pitch black after the previous song ended with the band standing in the position they finished. Behind them was a person in the same black coats mentioned before. In the far back of the stage you see a man playing keyboard the entire night. This man began playing and the lights came back on and Imminence tore the roof off the place. Berg played violin while hitting screams that ranged from the lowest he could go to the highest. Arnoldsson strummed rhythmic yet heavy and fast notes which was followed up by a quick solo from Barrett. Berg began his blood-curdling screams yet again which was accompanied by Hanström kicking as fast he could on the drums. The blast beats were the fastest of the evening and fans began a circle pit to the floor. Fans adored it as it was a fusion of black metal and metalcore. It pushed boundaries and succeeded as it already reached over 1.4 million streams on Spotify. Barrett also showed off his vocals with his own intense low screams. During the song, the lights went out and came back on glowing eerily red. Barrett took his hands and motions for a wall of death. The fans followed through as the band chugged away for the breakdown. Berg had also used the microphone set up on his violin by holding it up to his face and screaming into that rather than the main microphone, while having his back bend backwards. The band and the fans head banged until the song finished. I was left impressed how Berg's back didn't break because if I did that, my back would not be able to function.
For their song “God Fearing Man” Barrett whipped out a cello bow and used it on his guitar. The lights went out and all you see next is Barret pulling it out from his back over his head. The pace changed when they began playing “Alleviate” from their 2021 album 'Heaven In Hiding'. It started off acoustic while Berg serenaded the crowd, but soon returned to its original form when the band returned to the stage. A moment that has people crowd surfing like crazy singing the words back to Berg. For the encore, Imminence played “The Black”. Barrett is seen whipping his hair around while Berg played a soothing violin melody. The crowd made some room in the pit as the final breakdown approached. Berg let out a lengthy scream into the violin and the whole band let their instruments ring out to build anticipation. And just like the whole night. The lights went out and breakdown hit like a brick. The crowd moshed the hardest they did all night while Berg and Barrett teamed up for the final screams. Höijer dropped heavy bass lines that hit people deep into their soul. Eventually it was just Berg finishing off with a violin solo. Fans watched in awe as the only light shining was on Berg. He kept going as they eased their way into the end.
That ended 'The Return Of The Black' Tour and what a masterpiece it was. Fans cheered for a good while after the band walked off the stage. Imminence has multiple festival appearances planned for 2025 along with a Latin America tour and European tour lined for the fall and winter of 2025.
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