We are no strangers to Exist Immortal here at the Midlands Rocks, having been blown away by their self-titled 2022 album (reviewed here) which proved itself one of that year’s key releases. It was a record that proved to be a rebirth, the band resetting their compass and correcting their line of travel, further honing their energies into a red hot laser beam. It was a calibration that has been carried over to their latest release, the five track EP Afterglow. It’s an EP that stays true to their ethos insofar that it finds them pushing at musical boundaries, bravely going where no band has been before, and in doing so have produced a record that will sate legions of fans whilst attracting new admirers.
The great thing about an EP is that it makes the perfect calling card; it’s just long enough to spike the listener’s interest and short enough to leave them hungry for more. Opening track ‘Something, Somewhere’ certainly fills that remit and immediately sinks its claws in with a tangled web of riffs and rhythms; it’s as if the band are appearing from mangled wreckage and are rising, phoenix like, from the flames. This is progressive metal in its purest definition and finds Exist Immortal standing on the threshold of new musical realms, seemingly poised to jump in any direction. While they definitely have that pioneering spirt, this quintet never lose sight of important stuff like melody and song structure and punctuate the more experimental passages with pieces of sublime ear candy. It’s a neat tension of opposites and will reverberate throughout these five tracks, the band shapeshifting and taking on new form like some strange kind of alien.
Aided by a crisp production, Afterglow sounds razor sharp and clinical, meaning that when all the instruments fall in together they connect with full force. It also helps the lighter moments seem cavernous, which in turn makes the listener feel miniscule, as if they are floating alone within a vast universe. Yet, for all its invention, Afterglow is fundamentally a metal album and songs such as ‘Stuck In Motion’ offer plenty of potential for moshing, and are sure to ignite pits wherever they are unleashed.
It is with ‘Shadow Work’ that Exist Immortal depart but not before stamping an indelible mark on the listener and leaving us basking in the EP’s Afterglow.
- Afterglow is released via Seek & Strike on 11th September 2026.
- Exist Immortal Official Website
Track List:
1. Something, Somewhere
2. Fail To Find
3. Afterglow
4. Stuck In Motion
5. Shadow Work
