ALBUM REVIEW: Axis Mundi – Imminence
Swedish trailblazers IMMINENCE are back with their sixth studio album, Axis Mundi. A brooding tour de force of melodic metalcore that sees the band continue to reach loftier heights. Following on from 2024’s excellent album, The Black, was never going to be an easy achievement, yet IMMINENCE have managed it. It doesn’t quite reach the same levels but hits all the right notes for any fan of the band and will easily draw in casual fans.
Axis Mundi is one of those metalcore albums that takes itself completely seriously from start to finish. Opening track, Twisting In The Wind sets the stage for the album with a sorrowful and mournful sound that’s phenomenal. Frontman Eddie Berg does a lot of the heavy lifting. Don’t get us wrong, the music hits you like a sledgehammer but the vocals are the main character here. The altering changes of anguish and a soft style of singing are a great way to start this album as you feel every drop of emotion he exudes. As we venture towards the end, we are hit with a pause before a sumptuous guitar riff blows the cobwebs away in what is a very ARCHITECTS-esque way. It’s one hell of a way to start off the era of Axis Mundi.
The tempo changes for The Sword That Never Bends, where there is a fun groove which has a really cool bounce to it. It brings in more of a symphonic sound that goes perfectly with Berg’s ethereal vocals before descending into riff focused chaos that works in tandem with a haunting violin solo. It keeps the sound just a bit different so that it sinks its claws into you, piquing your interest in what is to come.
The chaos doesn’t stop there either. Devil May Try, with a stank face inducing riff, takes centre stage next. It’s slow, heavy and is so broody it could give a prime Harrison Ford a run for his money. Crestfallen comes next and is perhaps one of the more radio friendly songs, yet the broodiness remains. It’s a great track with an atmosphere thicker than a mug of gravy in a Yorkshire man’s house on a Sunday. Once again, the violin returns in tandem with the heavy guitar which continues that excellent and delectable spirit of the record. There are moments during this song where you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a SPIRITBOX tune with the combo of haunting vocals and harsh vocals. It’s banging.
For those wanting something truly heavy, False Light brings that moment. Its slow and gargantuan nature rattles you to the core and sees Berg finally letting loose with his vocals. IMMINENCE sounds like a monster both musically and vocally. This song is best taken in a dark room as you let the emotions and unforgiving nature wash over you to truly get the feeling of it whilst you get the symphonic nature seeping through as it continues to escalate without giving you a moment to breathe. It’s truly excellent stuff.
If Not Now, When continues the heavy nature of its predecessor, but doesn’t quite hit the same heights. It ticks all the boxes but at times just feels like a filler song that needed to be in to bulk out the run time of the record. Didn’t Think About You (Lately) brings something a little different to the record, mostly lying on electronic beats as Berg laments a previous relationship and how said person no longer plays on his mind. Whilst its nothing new, it scratches an itch with its pacing and beats that flow surprisingly well amidst the mire of metal we have listened to so far.
Leviathan follows and keeps the same themes of a slow and brooding nature that have been so prevalent throughout the album. Again, the heights from earlier in the album aren’t quite hit here despite it doing its absolute best. It once again falls into the ARCHITECTS sound that reminds you of Holy Hell, which makes you think more about that album than this current song. It does bring an emotional punch to it though which IMMINENCE manages to pull off in a way that doesn’t feel too saccharine either. The same issues follow on with Shed Your Skin. It feels like a paint by numbers with a dull drum beat that makes the song feel like it is trudging along as Axis Mundi starts to run out of steam, infuriatingly right at the end with a track that overstays its welcome by about two minutes.
Penultimate track, has the saving grace of Berg becoming a bit more unhinged with his vocals that batter you alongside a powerful riff that will surely earn a mosh pit or two live as it puts the album back on track before its finale. Exodus shakes off the misfires that came previously and does stick the landing for a powerful ending that brings the album full circle. There are huge riffs and harsh vocals galore which bring in a sense of chaos and fear of the unknown. The track then segues into an orchestral piece which gives you a reflective feel from what came before it. It’s a great way to end the album after a couple of misfires threatened to derail a great listen.
For about eighty percent of the time, Axis Mundi is a great addition to the IMMINENCE discography. It feels sharp and well forged with a few frustrating moments that, if removed, would give this album a much better narrative and more concise feel about it. Instead they cause a bit of a whiplash effect that stops the album dead. However, once you look past those, its an album that makes you look at what life is and how we navigate it, and wonderfully weaves into our minds and sticks with us for a short while afterwards. It isn’t perfect by any means, but does what it sets out to do.
Rating: 7/10
Axis Mundi is out now via Sumerian Records.
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