“I’ll try to say goodbye to the past, cus’ the future is in my hands.“
We’ve seen a mass resurgence of dying genres over the last few years, with deathcore and metalcore both exuding modern talent, doing things the good, old-fashioned way. To excel in any genre nowadays, you have to fall into one of two camps: do the old sound, but very well, or do something new that makes you stand out from the swathes of mid-to-crap-tier wannabes trying desperately to copycat some other huge artist. It’s something we’ve seen all too often, and it shows no signs of stopping, especially with the rise of AI usage – something absolutely deplorable in almost all applications, which we should shun. Thankfully, I Promised The World proves that, above all else, talent will always prevail, and their start may not be quite as you’d expect for a modern metalcore act.
Starting their careers as Sinema, a name they’d later shed for their current moniker, the Texas five-piece began as self-proclaimed emocore, a sound much more congruent to modern-day scramz and post-hardcore. It was only with their transition to I Promised The World that the lads saw themselves start to cast their nets wider and play around more with their sound. Their debut album, Fear of the Fall, was, and still is, a fantastic listen in its own right, and for the sound the band had at the time, it’s undeniably a modern classic. Perhaps that’s why it was so surprising when, on their split release, The Snowball Effect (with onewaymirror and Kiowa), we saw the band take things in a new direction. Foraying into metalcore, they took that nostalgic revival sound, but infused it with their own emocore twist. Now, with the release of their self-titled (and first signed release), the band’s full vision is realised, and it’s truly something to behold.
If you were already a fan of the band, you’re undoubtedly going to love this EP; it’s everything you’ve come to know and love I Promised The World for being, and more. In fact, before we talk about the new tracks, let’s discuss the elephant in the room: “Future Worth Dying For”. If you’re an existing fan, you know this song already, but perhaps not in this form. Where The Snowball Effect gave us but a glimpse of the direction that the band was moving in, the updated mix and master on the EP rendition wholly realises that sound. Simply put, it is huge. That’s no accident either, with the band having worked with both Jon Markson and Adam Cichocki (Timber Studios) to help realise their vision; a huge, yet nostalgic EP which blends the best of modern and classic techniques. Take, for example, the new synths intertwined throughout, which provide an extra layer and round things out, showing the band’s willingness to experiment whilst not straying too far from the basics. Or perhaps the layer of polish is what uplifts this revision, with everything sounding so much tighter and full, without taking things too far and feeling overproduced and squeaky clean. There’s a fine balance between the band’s prior, very raw sound and the more modern band’s polished approaches, and by playing in this middle ground, it’s as if a whole new sound has been discovered.
For many of you reading this, I suspect you probably caught wind of the band a bit later on with the release of “Bliss in 7 Languages”, or perhaps “A Pure Expression”, and that’s fine, we don’t judge. Two stellar singles in their own right, if you didn’t already know the band, these told you instantly all you needed to know about them. Intricate, yet accessible instrumentals, whiny but catchy cleans, the odd spoken word moment, and ridiculous yet nostalgic screams culminate in something every bit as refreshing as it is a throwback. Dropping the initial single with the announcement of their signing to Rise Records and the EP’s announcement, the band quickly made waves across the wider scene, catapulting instantly from underground icons to the metalcore mainstream’s new favourite thing. It’s easy to see why, though, with each boasting a ludicrously catchy chorus, and neither doing anything especially crazy, instead opting to nail the basics and retain a sense of self.
That leaves us with just two tracks, “Proud” and “Emerald Waltz”, which bookend the EP perfectly. Whilst the former doesn’t do too much differently than those which follow, it certainly takes time to build more gradually, introducing many of the elements which are explored throughout the EP. A taste of what’s to come, so to speak, it’s a great opener, and does exactly what it should; wetting the appetite. The closer, however, is a whole other beast in and of itself. “Emerald Waltz” is a dance through time, with I Promised The World taking us on a journey with them, slowly building, ebbing and flowing, and culminating in an epic crescendo which fades us out. It’s hard to put into words quite how special this track is, and on your first listen, it may even bring a tear to your eye. It’s softer, deliberately emotive, and fully captivating, and given that it’s closing out an EP, all the more impressive. I don’t want to spoil this track by divulging too much, but be ready and give it your full attention; it will be well worth it.
Overall, I Promised The World is a resounding success, and just another string to the band’s already impressive bow. Now armed with both a stellar metalcore EP and a modern-classic emocore album to their name, there’s no telling what’s next for the band. What we do know, however, is that it will be HUGE, and if you have the opportunity to catch them live, then you absolutely should; these songs are meant to be experienced live, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice to pass up the opportunity.
9/10
I Promised The World releases Friday 16th January via Rise Records, and is available to pre-order here.