Immerse

The Weight That Holds Me Here

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Genre: Post-hardcore, Metalcore.
Released: 26/03/2021
Via Out Of It Records

Album Review: Immerse – The Weight That Holds Me Here

Immerse have taken the post-hardcore world by storm ever since releasing ‘Suffer’ back in 2018, with their new album ‘The Weight That Holds Me Here’ becoming a very eagerly anticipated album for fans of the band. The Bristol-born quartet has received a lot of traction with their single ‘Red Shade’, amassing over 200,000 streams on Spotify and recently featured on our Save The Black Heart Vinyl Set. I couldn’t wait for this album to drop so let’s not waste any more time. Here are my thought’s on Immerse’s ‘The Weight That Holds Me Here’.

Shredding tremolos and an in your face beat is the first thing you hear from ‘Vile’. The song is full of angst and emotion. Featuring some nasty beat-down like sections that’ll have the crowd killers swinging wildly when the band get to perform this one live. ‘Vile’ is a no-nonsense track that doesn’t hold any punches and starts the album off well. Following that is ‘Burn’. Vocalist Archie Hatfield is very talented in his field and this song is a shining example of just what he is capable of. A mix of cleans and screams demonstrates his vast range of singing styles that allow the band to feel as if they could fit in multiple genres. The song also contains a nice Bassline from Ben Wilshire. The natural bounce he creates gives the song an extremely catchy groove. 

‘With You’ is up next and the soothing intro is an awesome change in style. Immerse pull off the contrasting style extremely well and introduce their heavier nature in a way that maintains the flow of the record well. The more delicate guitar playing from Tim Brown is a joy to listen to as it ties the whole track together. ‘With You’ is certainly a different type of song however it works extremely well. The momentum continues with ‘Southbound’ leading the charge. A very anthem-like song that has an extremely catchy chorus that you will be singing for the next few days. This is certainly one of those songs that will have the whole crowd singing at the top of their lungs once live shows resume. 

Continuing down the album you will find ‘More’. A vastly different sounding track that feels somewhat angelic in nature. Once again the more delicate and precise guitar playing is an absolute marvel to listen to and demonstrates Tim’s ability to nail the more technical stuff as well as the fast-paced sections of distortion. ‘(altum)’ is a short little melodic instrumental that serves as a prolonged intro for the mammoth of a track ‘Red Shade’. It’s clear to see why this song has been so popular as it features the very best that Immerse has to offer. A stunning vocal performance from Tom matched with an infectious beat laid down by Josh Armitage. Every part of this track works well with each other and it just feels like a massive step up from what has come before it. This is a massive highlight on the record that I can’t stop recommending. 

‘Paralyse’ keeps the extremely high bar set by ‘Red Shade’ in its own heavy way. This song had me banging my head along from the get-go as it features one of the best grooves on the record. The clean sections of this track rock and add another layer of depth to the band’s portfolio. Speaking of which, ‘Lights’ is a remarkable piece of music I wasn’t expecting. A much more soothing and relaxed song that is full of passion and emotion. This one will polarise some of the more ‘Elitest’ fans, however musically the song is amazing and in practice Immerse nail it. You’ve got to check out this track. 

Following that is ‘23/19’ which was the first single that dropped for the new record and it’s clear to see why. A very aggressive assault is unleashed upon your ears in the form of ripping riffs and intense vocals. This is gonna be a pit lovers dream with the whole song inviting you to throw down as your life depends on it. Not to mention that the outro should come with a safety warning to anyone attending a show. 

The penultimate track is ‘(mon seul)’ which is another melodic instrumental piece that sets the tone for the final track ‘Here’s Hoping’. A false sense of security is developed as the softly sung intro is quickly ambushed by blistering riffs and a massive percussion section. Josh nails the drumming on this track and I couldn’t not find myself being glued to each and every fill and syncopated phrase. Everything layers on top of this immense drumming performance nicely and create one hell of a song. Now, this is how you end an album! 

Immerse has produced a great album that has the ability to catapult the band to new heights. The potential these guys hold is enough to carry them through these unprecedented times and I’m certain once live shows kick off again, Immerse will be the band to see live. I cannot wait to see what they have in store for the future.