LIVE REVIEW: IMMINENCE + INERTIA @ THE TIVOLI 10/10/25

Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi. Photos Charlyn Cameron

The lines of music fans going into The Tivoli were huge. Brisbane fans of heavy rock and metal demonstrated their devotion to the music as they waited patiently to get into the venue to get any position they could to see and experience the orchestral splendour of Imminence and their modern metalcore support band Inertia. The crowd was getting ready for an experience: a sonic and visual assault that will linger in the minds of every person who was there.

However, before the music and shatteringly great performance of Imminence claimed the night, Sydney’s dark pop leaning metal band Inertia ensured the night was kicked off with power. The quartet of Inertia are Julian Latouche (vocals), Mark Williamson (guitar and production), Oliver Smith (bass), and Sebastian Schaber (drums) set the tone for the night.

Inertia’s unique blend of melodic dark heavy metal with a side of glistening pop was underpinned with the most astonishing bassline riffs and explosive guitar riffs that immediately captivated the crowd. Inertia started their set 9 song set with ‘Dying To Let You Go’. The bassline rhythms delivered by Oliver Smith were heavy and hard as he filled the room with a sonic barrage and set the musical attitude for the evening especially on ‘Leviathan’.

Inertia’s sound is just remarkable. It is at once crushing but soft, loud yet gentle, as vocalist Julian Latouche warmed up the crowd. He told the crowd, “We’re not here to f**k around. We wanna get down to business, Brisbane – so let’s get that circle pit going” as the song ‘Dominion’ was performed. Then, the band played ‘Static’, with the crowd encouraged to “spin, spin, spin” and “let’s bounce, Brisbane”.

The band stopped to talk to the crowd about upcoming shows and about the release of their latest album ‘Second Shadow’. Then, the band played an older track, in ‘Parallel’ before they headed back to the new album tracks to deliver ‘Counterfeit’ and ‘Too Far Gone’. Inertia’s sound is a fusion of pop sensibilities with hard-hitting heavy compositions as Julian Latouche flipped effortlessly between commanding cleans and harsh screams. The band’s live performance matched their studio recordings in intensity and quality.

Inertia closed out their set with the delivery of the track ‘Lament’. The crowd’s enthusiasm for the band was evident from the start. The mosh got going, and the crowd was totally engaged with the music. It was a testament to Inertia that they energised the crowd so well. It was an impressive warm up set.

Then, Inertia bid the crowd a good night and told the crowd they were going to be “blown away with what was coming next”. The stage was totally stripped back. Everything was pushed to the back of the stage, and the crowd waited.

To keep themselves amused during the changeover, there was a squatting game played between the guys on the floor and those on the mezzanine. It was a lot of fun as it ran like a Mexican wave around the venue. Then, The Hives and The Cardigans were played loudly on the PA as Imminence’s playlist of other Swedish bands was blasted out. The people behind me sang a great rendition of the Swedish song ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’ as the band’s tech wizard warmed up all the instruments on stage to the delight of the crowd.

The venue was sold out. It was packed, buzzing with anticipation, as bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder in a restless sea of black and eager faces. Then, the lights faded to black. Silence, for just a breath. And then, the detonation. The roar of the crowd thundered through the venue as the lights exploded in time with the first chords of ‘Temptation’ as Imminence came out onto the stage. Eddie Berg (lead vocalist and violinist) stood centre stage, silhouetted against the lights, gripping the mic with one hand and, in the other hand, held his violin before he launched into a scream that ripped through the venue like a shockwave. The crowd erupted!

From that moment, the whole crowd was Imminence’s captives as the songs ‘Desolution’ and ‘Heaven Shall Burn’ were delivered. The crowd surfing started early as the photographers had the first of many land in the pit. Imminence’s performance was so immersive it felt like stepping into another dimension. The beautiful violin that was played with skill and artistry by Eddie Berg was astonishing. His voice was hauntingly beautiful from his clean singing to his delivery of vocal fry and guttural screams.

The rest of the band were – well – gorgeous and talented. The stunning Harald Barrett (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Alex Arnoldsson (lead guitar), Christian Höijer (bass), Mikael Norén (drums) and the female backing singer were just terrific. The live sound this ensemble delivered as Imminence was beyond tight. It was visceral, raw, and meticulously controlled as ‘Beyond The Pale’, ‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’ and ‘Erase’ were performed.

Eddie Berg’s vocals balanced between delicate and devastating. He was haunting in delivering the vocal melody one moment, and then furiously growling the next. His violin work wove through the chaos like a wisp, elevating the band’s already massive sound into something orchestral and ethereal. This otherworldly sound was especially evident in the performance of ‘Ghost’.

The songs ‘Infectious’, ‘Come What May’ and the French ‘L’ Appel Du Vide’ were delivered with real energy and class. Imminence’s presence and sound were complemented by the shifting lights as the band was bathed in deep blues and fiery reds, and the fog curled around their feet as it rolled across the stage. The room given by the stripped back stage was used for the band to display their mastery of their instruments as they spun across the stage.

The last song in the regulation set was the fantastic ‘Come Hell Or High Water’ that was performed with the most extraordinary violin solo at the end. There was also the stunning Harald Barrat who used the violin bow to play his guitar. He was cloaked in layers of black shawls, and lace, as he glided on the stage and he bowed his guitar strings in such a beatific way. He was a graceful silhouette in motion. It just left everyone in the venue breathless. It was so ethereal. Then, Imminence wished everyone a good night and left the stage.

But the cheers and clapping went up and grew louder, then Imminence reappeared back on stage to deliver a three-song encore of ‘Death Shall Have No Dominion’, ‘God Fearing Man’ and ‘The Black’. It was so powerful and emotive. Imminence was not just performing a concert; it was a spectacle. At the end, the band embraced both the energy of the venue and each other. They threw down their hair and took their bow in full knowledge of the sensational performance they had just delivered.

It was at this point, at the end of the night, as the very happy crowd wandered out to Ubers or up to the train station or into the Valley, that I thought: what is it about Sweden that creates extraordinary bands like Imminence? It was a performance that not only entertained, but it rattled your concepts of what heavy metal bands can be. Imminence and Inertia really delivered a high-quality night of