Photos & words @photo.amai
We are halfway through the year, Melbourne heavy music fans have been treated to some epic gigs, from small to large, and we have seen some stellar line-ups.
Tonight, fans braved the rain and cold to for yet another massive show, I PREVAIL at John Caine Arena, supported by none other than IMMINENCE and INVENT ANIMATE.
Opening the night was Invent Animate, all the way from America. Adorned in white, with vocalist Marcus sporting a glittering gold mic and stand, they are definitely one hell of a glamorous heavy act. This created a fantastic contrast with their death growls and booming riffs. The floor was already packed with fans, and they took a moment to thank people for coming out early to see them. This is the second time we have had the pleasure of seeing Invent Animate, the first was back in 2024 at the Forun Melbourne when they supported Aussie band, Alpha Wolf. Invent Animate did an amazing job warming up the crowd in preparation for things to come.
Our final support for the evening is IMMINENCE, hailing from Sweden. The polar opposite of our previous band, Imminence, is dressed from head to toe in black, carrying a deep and ominous vibe as they launched in their opening track, ‘Temptation’. The set was packed with back-to-back heavy hitters, allowing each member’s skills to flourish, especially frontman Eddie Berg, who can simultaneously play violin while singing high cleans and descending into guttural growls.
The set included tracks Desolation, Heaven Shall Burn, Erase (a personal favourite), Death by a Thousand Cuts and their new track, The Sword That Never Bends. On a side note, this new track is accompanied by a cinematic music video; check it out here.
When the intro for ‘God Fearing Man’ started, fans jostled into position to keep their eyes on guitarist Harald Barrett. Mid track, Barrett draws a violin bow like a sword, striking it against his guitar, creating the signature deep note. It truly is something to behold. The set was closed with ‘Into The Black’, the breakout single from the latest album.
The crew was literally setting the stage, a metal link fence covering the risers at the front, huge LCD risers in the back elevating the drum kit into the air, you know, we were in for a show. At this point, the arena was fully packed, and the crowd was ready to go; this included the largest turnout of banana-clad revellers I have seen to date. I PREVAIL entered the stage, not wasting any time, opening with NWO, featuring a heavy dose of pyrotechnics.
The set continued with Bow Down, There’s Fear In Letting Go, and of course, the namesake on the tour, Violent Nature. When the track reached the chorus, vocalist Eric was joined by several thousand fans yelling, ‘I’m a sick motherfucker with a violent nature’, which brought a huge smile to his face. Of course, they followed up with their cover of Taylor Swift’s – Blank Space, the song that sent the band insanely viral on social media.
“Ah fuck it, bring me the damn shoe” Vocalist Eric is going to indulge in an Australian celebratory ritual called a Shoey, where you skull a bear out of a shoe. “This is our seventh time in Australia, and we have done a shoey at every single show, do you even know how it started? I bet you don’t care, and that’s why we love you!’
The band leaves the stage, and Benny Benassi’s classic Satisfaction starts to play, which leads into an epic drum solo from Gabe Helguera, who has been absolutely killing it all night.
‘This is our last song of the night, it’s dedicated to Dylan, it’s about brotherhood, just kidding, it’s about burning every fucking thing down, it’s called Gasoline. This is a very aptly named track, allowing the band to burn off the rest of their pyrotechnics and engage the crowd in the biggest sing-along of the night.
A huge thanks to the John Cain Arena crew, INVENT ANIMATE, IMMINENCE, I PREVAIL, and of course, Dallas Does PR.
