Camden’s Black Heart is a bijoux music venue resting in the shadows of the rock haunt Underworld, very much the junior venue. However last Sunday it was rocked to its core with a tech metal festival worthy of its more muscular sibling. Supporting the mighty Malefice on their nine date warm up tour was the very impressive Londoners Exist Immortal.
Touring on the back of their recent Darkness of an Age album (please see our recent review) this 5 piece certainly knew how to tease and please a packed Sunday crowd. It was the last night of the tour but, even so, they delivered an immense amuse bouche selection of pure metal power, in what seemed like the small back parlor of Ozzy’s quirky garden folly.
Pre-set the partisan crowd was already in the party mood and ready to deliver themselves into vocalist Meyrick’s hairy palms. Not happy until the whole room was rammed up against the stage did he declare the proceedings open with Imperator and a threat that no head was to be left unbanged for the next hour.
The set was very much the best of the album and delivered at such a level it felt that Armageddon had arrived with all the horses. Nice surprises too, as Will (friend of the band) guested on vocals for Liberator as Sam Rudderforth, who featured on the album track had not toured, and what a performance as he took his vocals from the stage to foray into the baying crowd. The set ended with a celebration as long time guitarist “Monty” announced he was leaving the band and tonight was his swansong, at which point the head banging went up to 11 in his honour for Omen Machine.
Monty will be missed but this band will go from strength to strength. This was not a venue too far but a venue far too small to contain the mind-blowing power of Exist Immortal. If you like it louder than hell then, like me, you’ll want to hear them. Speaking with Meyrick afterwards it was strange to hear him softly speaking about soon to be announced future tour news. Definitely news that Sunday’s crowd will look forward to.
Iain @docswallow
Set List:
1) Imperator
2) Delirium
3) The Participant
4) The Void
5) Liberator (feat Will, friend of the band)
6) Edge of Infinity
7) The Omen Machine
Members: Meyrick de la Fuente -Vocals Tom Montgomery - Guitar Kurt Valencia - Guitar David Billote - Bass/Vocals Charlie Bines - Drums