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At the start of the year, if there is one band I did not anticipate featuring here, it is definitely I Prevail. No disrespect to the guys, but on one side, an album wasn't even on the pipeline until very recently, and on another, I have been relatively indifferent to them until now. As soon as I noticed TRUE POWER on the weekly schedule I left it on my "to check later" list, but then I saw the usual hate pouring towards I Prevail and my interest naturally peaked. The result is a very happy me, having listened to a brilliant modern record with a completely different opinion of the band, and a few solid bangers into the daily playlist.
As with pretty much everything these days, the most hated it is, the more likely it is for me to genuinely love it. You have to say that for every hater out there, I Prevail have at least three devoted fans, so the mass reaction to TRUE POWER is far from negative, further backed with brilliant chart performance, but the gatekeeping is also real and quite noticeable. Until know, I have been neutral and, aside for respecting their quick rise to fame, always though the guys tried a little too hard, resulting in a relatively fabricated sound. I'm glad I gave this one a chance as their growth is clear from the first second, and you only have to check out the lead single 'Body Bag' to hear their freedom and determination.
Three albums in, by 2022 I Prevail are an established alt metal outfit with commercial success rarely seen across the scene, and this is largely due to their radio- and TV-friendly sound, active marketing and media support. However, they also seem to tick quite a few boxes, and the timing of their records, especially TRUE POWER, plays a huge part. Call it trap, rap or alternative metal and rock, but in its roots, I Prevail can easily be defined as a nu metal band. We are in the peak of what is descriped as pop punk and emo revival, but this is just one side of a wider musical nostalgia of the 2000s, marking pretty much all genres at present. And can you really imagine that era without nu metal also coming back?
In recent months, we got new albums by Hollywood Undead, Banks Arcade, Palisades, Blind Channel, Windwaker, Moodring, Future Palace, The Oklahoma Kid, and you can't argue all of these would have been huge around 2005. Add in the apparent nu metal influences in recent releases by Spiritbox, Thornhill, Architects, Silverstein, and many other heavyhitters, and you start to see the bigger picture. While not all of these bands fully deserve (or want) the title of the "new Linkin Park" that has been shoved onto pretty much everyone, I Prevail are arguably the one band that is ready to not just take the mantle but also do it justice.
Consider their musical style and influences and then look at streams, social media following, Grammy nominations, and chart performance, and there is almost noone that can rival them in 2022. After all, the kids that grew up with grunge, nu metal and alternative in the 90's and early 00's are either in bands now or making executive decisions across the institutions that matter. And this is exactly why there is so much hate towards I Prevail (and most of the other bands above) - nu metal was never really accepted by the average true metal gatekeeper, and despite its powerful nostalgic vibes, it probably never will.
Whatever your opinion is, I Prevail's popularity is definitely not coincidental. They blew up with the Punk Goes Pop cover of Taylor Swift's 'Blank Space' and have been backed by Fearless Records since their debut Heart vs. Mind EP (2014) to this day. Ignore charts and festival if you will, but just on Spotify they boast over 3 million monthly listeners, which is actually miles ahead of the likes of Ice Nine Kills, Architects, Spiritbox, Parkway Drive, Motionless in White, The Devil Wears Prada, Memphis May Fire, Wage War, and many others. In other words, these guys must be doing something right, regardless of what we think.
Where Lifelines (2016) and Trauma (2019) failed to make a lasting impression, TRUE POWER stands out very strong on its own. A cinematic intro leads straight into 'There's Fear In Letting Go' which is a sick opener and sets the tone for what quickly shapes into a pretty entertaining record. Despite its 15 tracks, there are very few songs that feel like filler, and the album shifts gears with ease keeping it diverse throughout. Unlike many others, I Prevail dropped only 2 singles in advance, and have had a very short promotional run to the official premiere, which massively helps the record stay fresh for much longer.
On one side, I Prevail deliver soft and melodic just as successful, resulting in catchy pop- and rap-infused bangers like 'Bad Things', 'Fake', 'The Negative', 'Visceral', all channeling their inner Linkin Park and backing what I said earlier. However, when they get angry, TRUE POWER hits pretty hard, with 'Body Bag', 'Self-Destruction', 'FWYTTYK', 'Long Live The Kind' and 'Choke' all boasting relentless energy and fanstastic vocal synergy between Burkheiser and Vanlerberghe, raising up to modern metalcore standards.
TRUE POWER might not be my a clear AOTY contender, but we are talking about a year stacked with insane releases like almost no other, and even then it leaves a lasting impression. To me, I Prevail have finally managed to deliver a record that shows their real honest selves, seemingly without worrying about expectations and reactions. The album is catchy, energetic, angry and powerful, and there is really nothing wrong to say about it apart from congratulations for the release and its well-deserved success.
I Prevail - TRUE POWER
Country: USA (MI)
Released: 19 August 2022
Label: Fearless Records
Tracklisting:
1. '0:00'
2. 'There's Fear in Letting Go
3. 'Body Bag'
4. 'Self-Destruction'
5. 'Bad Things'
6. 'Fake'
7. 'Judgement Day'
8. 'FWYTYK
9. 'Deep End'
10. 'Long Live the King'
11. 'Choke'
12. 'The Negative'
13. 'Closure'
14. 'Visceral
15. 'Doomed'
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