President Push the Limits on "Blood of Your Empire"

Released on the 4th of September, President have stunned with their long-awaited and highly anticipated debut album, “Blood of Your Empire.” To quote the band’s very own lyrics: “Gather round, children, sing hallelujah.”

While maintaining the band’s anonymity through the frontman’s signature, lifelike “President” mask and the concealed faces of the rest of the band members, they have managed to create striking visual imagery and a recognisable aesthetic surrounding their projects, be it an album, a stage show, or a music video. Religious aspects are an important component of the band’s identity, which also becomes apparent on this record, where religious trauma serves as a central theme throughout the lyrics.

Despite half of the record’s ten tracks having already been released, the album still manages to surprise. While the previously released singles undoubtedly stand out as the record’s strongest tracks, the band has gone a step further by including remastered versions of some of them, allowing them to blend more naturally into the album. Compared to the band’s earlier material, however, the newer tracks seem to lack some of the rawness that made those previously released songs so striking. Through various audio samples and spoken-word tapes, they have managed to make the listening experience fun, even in songs that may not immediately resonate with the listener.

In classic President fashion, every song has its own feel to it, even though their signature sound remains apparent throughout the whole record. Primarily rooted in metalcore, the band subverts all expectations by incorporating jazzy and math-rock elements into the serene, piano-driven track “This Will Divide Us,” while also featuring rap artist Ando San on “Hate Figure,” who has helped revolutionise the “prog-hop” genre. Giving their creativity free rein, they leaned quite heavily into a “dance music” kind of style on many of the new tracks, which breaks up the heaviness and dark ambience of the record and helps bring more variety to the record, while still keeping it powerful. The metalcore scene is no stranger to EDM drop-ins or even drum and bass rhythms blended into heavy riffs, low-tuned guitars, and the contrast between screamo vocals and catchy choruses. What makes it stand out in President’s case is the arrangement.

Challenging norms and breaking patterns in general are things that President have excelled at from the onset of their career. Ordinary song progressions are a rarity: a pre-chorus might be omitted leading up to the second chorus, while a second guitar line would be added to give it extra weight, and instrumental bridges stand out instead of the expected vocal ones. That said, President’s vocals do not fall short at all; the frontman’s vocal strength undoubtedly puts him among the strongest vocalists in the scene.

Despite being criticised as an industry plant and for drawing too heavily on other artists in the scene, such as Sleep Token, President have ultimately risen above the criticism and carved out a place for themselves within the scene. They have proven themselves by developing a sound that feels distinctly their own and by sticking to their unique way of composing their tracks. While blending so many genres could easily become overwhelming in the hands of other artists, President consistently maintain an enjoyable balance. Listening to a President project only once in its entirety would hardly do it justice, as each playthrough reveals new nuances hidden within the arrangements and production.

With “Blood of Your Empire,” President have not only established a sound of their own, but also proven that there is still plenty of room for innovation within the modern metalcore scene. Author’s pick: “Dark Heaven,” one of the strongest tracks on the record.

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