“So pull the skin back from my bones.”
For the better part of the last decade, I Prevail have enjoyed their spot on the roster of frontrunners of the heavy music scene. The Michigan quartet have crafted a sound built on emotional vulnerability and accessible heaviness that has resonated with many. With the departure of longtime vocalist Brian Burkheiser earlier in the year, it did spark the question in my head of where they would go from here. With the release of Violent Nature, we look at how the band adapts to this lineup change,
The first single and title track of the album was in many ways something I had always wanted from the band. Lead vocalist Erik Vanlerberghe has always been an animal when let loose, and he holds absolutely no punches with a ferocious performance demonstrating his strengths as a harsh vocalist. The band do not lag behind; guitarists Steve Menoian and Dylan Bowman and drummer Gabe Helguera lay down an impressively aggressive performance, with the low-tuned guitars and the flurries of fills bordering on deathcore in moments. The track is one of the heaviest and most engaging performances I Prevail has pulled off in recent years.
Opening track “Synthetic Soul” presents a promising start to the album. Opting for a “slow burn” approach, the track opens with a somber and dark atmosphere reminiscent of Bad Omens’ recent work, with synth-driven electronic moments courtesy of Jon Eberhard. The low-tuned guitars of the title track are present here too, creating for an impactful contrast with the lighter elements of the track. The overall soundscape created by the track is surprisingly effective and engaging.
Unfortunately, it seems I Prevail are still unable to fully escape the confines of their established sound. On “Rain”, there is an attempt to bring in the low-tuned guitars to create a similar impact, particularly on the track’s main riff. The predictable manner in which the track plays out dampens any chance of the track achieving this, with a typical mostly-sung track leading to a big chorus. I Prevail have never been the most poetic band lyrically, but the chorus of the track feels especially worn-out (So let it rain, wash over me. Come set me free from this misery). The shoehorned breakdown fails to add anything meaningful to the track, and the song’s structure is about as impactful as the millions of other songs that I’ve heard use this hackneyed trope.
“Into Hell” is perhaps the most disappointing of these radio-friendly tracks. When you have the powerhouse of a vocalist that is Vanlerberghe, it makes little sense to me to have him focus on doing mainly cleans, especially on this heavily pop-leaning rock anthem-type track. While his cleans certainly aren’t bad, his full kit feels severely underutilised. “Into Hell” is dated and wearisome, offering nothing new to the band’s sound.
Where it tries to repeat ideas previously explored, the execution feels strangely less effective, owing to the repetition of elements being too close without introducing any new elements. On “Annihilate Me”, there is an attempt to recapture the gloomy, grim atmosphere of “Synthetic Soul”. While it’s a decent enough performance and certainly one of the better songs on the album, it still ends up sounding fairly bland. “NWO” has a similar issue, following instead in the title track’s footsteps. Instead of having the level of ferocity of the title track, it sounds suspiciously similar to “ARTIFICIAL SUICIDE” by Bad Omens instead. Lyrically a tired slog of chants standing up to authority, it feels rather flat.
It wouldn’t be an I Prevail album without an acoustic pop ballad, and “Crimson Clover” is the man for the job. There’s not much more I can say other than it does nothing for the album. It’s frustrating that this is a sonic choice that I Prevail repeatedly fall back on, despite being capable of much more engaging performances. This is especially infuriating when the following track, “God”, is an even more monstrous beast than the title track. Tired religious metaphors aside, Vanlerberghe’s full range of unclean vocals is on full display here, from brutal gutturals to menacing high shrieks. Dissonant tapping and gritty riff work give the track the impact it needs to succeed. What was presumably meant to be a moment of tonal whiplash ends up feeling far too jarring and ultimately disappointing.
To I Prevail’s credit, Violent Nature presents some good ideas. There is a general improvement instrumentally, with moments of innovation present that genuinely caught my attention. Vanlerberghe steps up to the plate of full vocal duties well enough, able to deliver the sound that I Prevail is known for. However, it’s this reluctance to move past this established sound that also draws ire from me, especially since the band have clearly demonstrated their ability to do so here. With the lineup changes, I would have hoped for a bigger change-up for the band, but Violent Nature ultimately feels neither here nor there, stuck between moving on and staying with what works. The result is an album that, while presents some fresh ideas, is paced terribly and inconsistent in sound. It’s my sincere hope that I Prevail takes the best elements of Violent Nature and bring them to the forefront on their next release instead of relying on what they’re already known for. The heavy music scene could really use a shake-up like that instead of the same bland tropes ad nauseum.
4/10
Violent Nature releases on the 19th of September via Fearless Records. Pre-order and merch links for the album can be found here.