“If you don’t know the devil, then you don’t know me.”
I feel there is an innate quality in artists to want to evolve – to push the boundaries of their creativity in new and exciting directions, for a number of reasons. Chiefly, as a creative I feel it’s easy to ‘stick to what you’re good at’, so to speak, and breaking out of that complacent bubble can heighten the pride in what you craft. Sometimes, though, there comes a time where simply incrementally eschewing new versions of your sound over time just doesn’t work anymore. Be that due to the sound you’re replicating being reminiscent of a bygone era, or you feel that the well of creativity in that particular sound has run a tad dry, at a certain point, unless you push forward, people tend to just stop paying attention. With their third full-length effort, True Power, I Prevail certainly seek to push the boundaries of their sound into new directions, but the more pressing notion to me in the creative intent behind this shift in sound.
It’s no secret that heavy music is ‘back in’ nowadays. In the age of YouTube reaction channels ruling the listening digest of the greater music public, the art of the ‘oh shit’ moment is certainly back in style. It all feels like it’s come full circle, as I can remember watching “TOP TEN HEAVIEST BREAKDOWNS OF 2011” compilations for the same effect back in the day, but the mainstream resurgence of that certainly isn’t a net negative. In fact, it’s given superb bands like Lorna Shore and Sleep Token a shining spotlight that, to be frank, was long overdue. It, however, has led to a lot of groups, welcome and… not, dipping their toes into (or in some cases, back into) heavier music. I Prevail has proven in the lead up to the release of this record to be one such band, providing some of their most aggressive tunes to date.
While I’ll admit out of the gate that I’ve found much to enjoy in the Michigan quintet’s latest effort, it’s clear from the first few tracks (including singles “Body Bag” and “Bad Things”) that much of the content on True Power is built of these ‘oh shit’ moments. Even in the relatively stronger tracks, the structure and sonic makeup of these tracks feels entirely transplanted from one song to the next. I suppose something could be said there about the state of modern metal in general there, but it feels so incredibly apparent that each song here is written with the exact same ethos in mind: do a big riff, do a bit of soft, maybe do some rapping, and earn your big boy breakdown.
That’s not saying these breakdown-centric tracks are bad in principle either, in fact, especially in the first half, many of them are actually quite good. Opening number “There’s Fear In Letting Go” in particular stands out, ushering the record in with its strongest foot forward, and proves to be one of the most engaging and fun tracks of the band’s career. The subtle electronic instrumentation provides a textured layer across almost the entire song, which seems to work as a sonic overture of sorts for the elements of the record. Whether that was the intent of the opener or not, it represents and contains within it what to expect of the sound of the record. Big choruses, rap-led verses and massive Mick Gordon-inspired breakdowns.
You could certainly argue through this that ‘once you’ve heard one you’ve heard them all’, but I do think there are a fair few highlights that deserve your time, if you enjoy the sound, that is. “Self-Destruction” is a djenty nu-metal rager, and proves to be one of the only tracks on True Power to break free from the throes of the dreaded cookie-cutter structure, with a surprisingly linear songwriting flow. Fantastic vocal performances from both Brian Burkheiser and Eric Vanlerberghe stand out here too, replete with great flows and delivery from both highly-contrasting vocalists.
In fact, Vanlerberghe’s performance proves to be one of the strongest elements across much of True Power, providing a near-flawless vocal performance across the entire record. Everything from his piercing screams, to his frequent rapped vocals, and the newest addition to his arsenal in some surprisingly great cleans, really works in the album’s favour. It’s a good thing, too, given just how much of this record features him.
Further highlights are strewn across penultimate track “Visceral”, which features not only a barnburner chorus, but also a surprising addition in what sounds like some screamed vocals from Burkheiser. The track’s primal, groovy breakdown is also one of the undeniably fun parts of True Power, and works alongside the track’s great sense of push-and-pull between its softer and heavier elements for a final moment of true release before the album’s more reserved closer, “Doomed”.
There are some conflicting moments on True Power, chiefly in lead single “Body Bag”, which is, in the interest of honesty, sorely, direly lacking in the melodic end, with one of the worst imitations of a Minutes To Midnight-era Linkin Park chorus I’ve ever heard. What conflicts is in the fact that the heavier moments on here are really, really fun, but every time the chorus rears its ugly heavy I just groan. It’s not even a fun juxtaposition, it just feels like two songs of starkly different quality smashed together out of an obligation to have their big radio moment. That said, the ridiculous, almost minute-long breakdown featured here is one of the album’s highlights, really tapping into the album’s core strength in those Mick Gordon-esque heavy sections. Disgustingly heavy guitars, bombastic saw synths and groovy drums define much of True Power’s peaks, and while not every track is a rager, the few ragers that do appear are undeniably fun.
Casting aside the focus on the heavies here for a second, though there are some nice low-key moments on the record, too. Late-album cut “Closure” features some great vocal melodies from both Burkeiser and Vanlerberghe over subtly driving percussion and nicely arranged keys before exploding into the track’s incredibly earwormy chorus. Further, aforementioned closer “Doomed”, a surprisingly intimate number, features a gorgeous interplay between the two vocalists from its second chorus onwards. Ironically, being one of my favourite cuts on True Power, “Doomed” is the one that feels most reminiscent of the bygone scene era, feeling at times like one of those endearingly melancholic Mayday Parade-esque ballads. Something about it just works, though, and while I feel the track exploding into a big emotional release at its tail end would’ve been a cool way to top off the record, the soundscape of the track lends itself to a sense of quiet vulnerability that I respect them deciding to stick to until the very end.
With True Power, I Prevail have found a sound that works for them, and will almost certainly work for the listening public. The heavy, Mick Gordon-inspired djent breakdowns are certainly welcome in lieu of a few more insufferable radio rock tunes, but I can’t help shake the feeling that, even at its best, much of it doesn’t come across totally genuine. There are moments across the monumental 15-track run of True Power where the chief thought in my mind is “this sounds like it was written by an executive board staffed exclusively by people who listen to SiriusXM.” To its credit, however, I did enjoy much of my time with True Power, much more than any of the band’s previous efforts in fact, but I Prevail’s everlasting pursuit of the next big hit detriments a significant portion of a record that I feel could’ve done so much more with so much less. I truly believe that, perhaps with some more work on variety in songwriting and learning to trim the fat a bit more effectively, I Prevail could have a truly great album on the horizon, but as of yet, their opus remains to be crafted.
6/10
True Power will be available this Friday, August 19th, via Fearless Records, and you can find pre-orders for the record here.