Silent Planet and Invent Animate Ascend in San Diego

Kaiya Vandemark
Apr 26
3 min read

The Bloom in Heaven Tour, a co-headliner for Silent Planet and Invent Animate with support from Allt and 156/Silence, made its way to Soma San Diego on April 22nd! This lineup really is a match made in heaven, as these are two bands I’m constantly saying are not of this world. They are so ethereal and atmospheric to me that it feels like you’re entering into a new reality or realm at their shows. To see them co-headlining a show together is on a whole different level. They just released a collaborative EP together, appropriately named Bloom in Heaven, which features three songs co-performed by the two bands. Not only is this tour coming together of the two bands, but also celebrating two albums: Heavener by Invent Animate, released in 2023, and Superbloom by Silent Planet, also released in 2023.

Allt was up first, and this was their first time touring in America, and this show was their first time playing in California! Coming all the way from Karlskoga, Sweden, Allt is a progressive metalcore band that formed in 2020. They’ve released two EPs so far and their debut album, From The New World, was released on October 4th, 2024. They have a really unique sound that balances between being heavy, atmospheric, and raw, yet still being melodic and smooth.

156/Silence was up next to take the stage. They had their artwork from their latest album, People Watching, posted all over their stage which brought an eerie and dark element to their set. A few weeks ago, they unfortunately lost their bassist, Lukas Booker. They are continuing on this tour in his honor. Lukas’s family has started a GoFundMe to help put him to rest. It originally started out with a $10,000 goal, but has surpassed that goal as of March 30th. With over 700 donations, they’ve raised nearly $35,500 to help with funeral costs. View the GoFundMe here.

I love co-headliners because of the alternating sets, you never know which band is actually closing out the night. Because of how aesthetically similar these bands are, it remained a mystery up until the band walked out on stage. Tonight, Invent Animate went first! Right from the start, you’re instantly mesmerized. With the outfits, the vocals, and the shift in atmosphere, it’s all very hypnotizing. They played “All The Light Is Gone”, off Bloom in Heaven, and brought out Garret Russell and Mitch Stark of Silent Planet. It was such a beautiful and peaceful moment in the set. Before they played "Elysium", they dedicated it to Lucus Booker. The crowd was extremely loud during “Without a Whisper”. Lead singer Marcus Vik took the mic away to let the crowd sing, and they were basically as loud as him with the mic. They closed out with “Immolation of Night.”

The atmosphere of a Silent Planet show is quite indescribable and very different from anything I’ve felt before. It's both haunting and awakening. Lead singer Garrett Russel is not of this world. He jumped off one of the risers and I swear he kind of just floated there for a second before landing so gracefully. At one point in the set, Garrett asked the crowd to close their eyes and imagine their consciousness floating up into the night sky. At the end of their set, Garrett jumped off the stage and onto the barricade and hugged as many fans as he could. He didn’t just stop at the barricade though. He actually jumped into the crowd, took pictures with fans, and took the time to talk to a few. There’s nothing like a hug from Garrett, and you won’t understand til you get one. His energy or aura, or whatever you wanna call it, is insane! There’s still a ton of dates left on this tour, so get your tickets and don’t miss out on this spiritually awakening of a tour.