Review: Benjamin Coe
With two killer studio albums tucked neatly under their belt, Michigan’s metalcore masterminds I Prevail are ready to prove that they’re worthy of the hype that surrounds their name. Having spent the last 9 years perfecting their crafty blend of metalcore with a touch of pop punk sensibility, the boys are unleashing what is arguably their best release to date, the aptly titled True Power.
Let me start by saying that this album just sounds huge! From the very second that the intro ends and it all kicks off with proper opener There’s Fear In Letting Go, there is barely a second of reprieve from the ferocity and tenacity that these guys have become so well known for. The riffs are massive and full of energy, the dual vocals, my god; the blend of Brian Burkheiser’s clean pop-ish vocals combined with the snarling angst of Eric Vanlerberghe’s roars and screams should not work but they just do, absolutely everything comes together from places so disparate yet forms an anomaly that is ever so enticing to the ears.
The guitar work is phenomenal. Steve Menoian & Dylan Bowman have become experts at their craft, one minute you’ll be banging your head furiously to a crushing riff (see the bridge section of Judgement Day for example) and the next you’ll be bouncing and bopping like it’s the early 2000’s and you’re smashing out some Blink-182, as evidenced in the anthemic Deep End. Such contrast might make you think that this album would sound strangely disjointed but alas, it flows so damn well from aggressive and in your face bangers to bounce-around-the-room bops that you won’t even notice.
And that’s just one of the many surprising things about True Power. While this band probably wouldn’t appeal to more seasoned metalheads, anyone willing to branch out a little bit would find at least a little something on this release to tickle their fancy. Be it the nostalgia-trip vocal melody of the rap-centric Long Live The King or the face-melting heaviness of Choke, there is so much on offer here that it really is hard to look past.
This album is a testament to the skill of every member of I Prevail and will forever be a lasting statement from the boys that they are not one-trick ponies and are more than worthy of the reputation that precedes them. All of these songs would be absolute beasts in the live arena and are honestly some of the most crisply produced tunes I have heard in a long time. I would highly recommend checking this one out.
I Prevail – True Power is out now via Fearless Records
BUY/STREAM TRUE POWER HERE
