Rocker (feedbot)
Gold Member
It’s been less than five months since PRESIDENT took the world by storm with their first single and now finally we’re being treated to a six song EP. Since ‘In The Name Of The Father’ was released all the way back in May, there’s been mixed reviews and opinions surrounding this fresh out the womb band, whether it be the identity of the singer or if they’re an industry plant. But no matter the views of the public, nobody can deny the impact that PRESIDENT are having on our community. Donned with masks and pseudonyms, there’s a wonderful air of mystery that surrounds them and, if anything, it adds to the intrigue of their music.
Obviously, they aren’t the first band to adopt being anonymous, the biggest elephant in the room being Sleep Token, but even if they were influenced by them, you can’t deny our obsession with a mystery. It’s in our nature to find out as much information about something as we can and PRESIDENT have used that to their advantage. We all have our theories but truthfully none of them really matter once you’ve been sucked into ‘KING OF TERRORS’.
If you haven’t heard ‘In The Name Of The Father’, then where on earth have you been hiding? Starting with echoing chords, akin to a church organ, ‘In The Name Of The Father’ sets the tone for the theme of the EP; faith and loss. 20 seconds in, we hear vocalist President’s unclean vocal scream, almost a scream of frustration, and guitarists Heist’s cacophony of distorted riffs, and are immediately thrown into a letter of confusion. The verses start off soft, like a false sense of security, the narrator just stating the obvious “this is me”. After a hopeful spoken piece reminiscent of Churchill’s infamous speech, we are plunged into the despair of the narrator crying out for their God. The rawness only amplifies from there until we eventually have a discordance of noise and the single whisper of “Father” before a final howl fills our ears like a wail in the night. Final choral, harmonious vocals bring us back down as if being gently laid down on some fluffy cushions only to be hit with the next of PRESIDENT’s singles.
‘Fearless’ follows a similar vibe, confirming PRESIDENT know how to keep us hooked. If this EP is supposed to be similar to the stages of grief, then this song is very much the anger phase; “Take an oath, never know what you’ll leave behind. I don’t know, I’m just tired of your fuckin’ lies”. ‘Fearless’ is more raw than the rest of the tracks, there is an innocent vulnerability to President’s vocals that really sets it apart. It’s a big fuck you to the person they’ve always looked up to and we’ve all been angry at our loved ones, even if we still worship them secretly.
‘Rage’ and ‘Destroy Me’ deviate from the previous tracks formats – coming in like a classic EDM number, think the BICEPS track ‘Apricot’, ‘RAGE’ changes the tone from confusion to the longing of someone, the pining for someone. Soft throughout until the second chorus, this song is full of background harmonies and a choral drone. But as soon as we get that octave change it’s a chef’s kiss of wounded vocals and, nobody can deny, PRESIDENT has some pipes. ‘Destroy Me’ carries on in this style, slowly building up to a battle cry of unclean vocals that punches hard.
The final two tracks feel a lot more calmer than the rest of the EP. ‘Dionysus’ evokes a 2000’s nostalgia within the thick riffs and a catchy chorus whilst ‘Conclave’ starts with an opening piano melody similar to the classic 80’s tune ‘The Way It Is’. Both songs seem more hopeful, even the lyrics changing from anger to acceptance to the realisation that faith was never lost, just stumbled over. The layers of synths, piano and rhythm of ‘Conclave’ give the perfect ending, concluding the EPs narrative akin to end credits.
‘KING OF TERRORS’ has officially landed and it’s going to leave an impact. Regardless of the marketing, the hype and the diverse opinions, the band are smart; they’ve thrown us a banquet of anguish, then slowly replaced it with more hopeful chords and lyrics as a palette cleanser. This album is supposed to feel less angsty by the end, because it follows the journey of life. PRESIDENT are leaving us wanting more for a reason, Rome wasn’t built in a day and change can’t be brought forth overnight but hope can be given in an instant. And this is what ‘KING OF TERRORS’ is, it’s hope. Hope in an ever changing dangerous world, hope in a time that’s not promised. You don’t have to be a believer of God to relate to this EP, we’ve all lost our way in life at times only to work hard to have faith in ourselves again. So whether you’re confused with religious faith or just feeling lost in a very confusing world, PRESIDENT have shown us there is hope somewhere. Plus we all love a mystery.
KAT OSTICK
Obviously, they aren’t the first band to adopt being anonymous, the biggest elephant in the room being Sleep Token, but even if they were influenced by them, you can’t deny our obsession with a mystery. It’s in our nature to find out as much information about something as we can and PRESIDENT have used that to their advantage. We all have our theories but truthfully none of them really matter once you’ve been sucked into ‘KING OF TERRORS’.
If you haven’t heard ‘In The Name Of The Father’, then where on earth have you been hiding? Starting with echoing chords, akin to a church organ, ‘In The Name Of The Father’ sets the tone for the theme of the EP; faith and loss. 20 seconds in, we hear vocalist President’s unclean vocal scream, almost a scream of frustration, and guitarists Heist’s cacophony of distorted riffs, and are immediately thrown into a letter of confusion. The verses start off soft, like a false sense of security, the narrator just stating the obvious “this is me”. After a hopeful spoken piece reminiscent of Churchill’s infamous speech, we are plunged into the despair of the narrator crying out for their God. The rawness only amplifies from there until we eventually have a discordance of noise and the single whisper of “Father” before a final howl fills our ears like a wail in the night. Final choral, harmonious vocals bring us back down as if being gently laid down on some fluffy cushions only to be hit with the next of PRESIDENT’s singles.
‘Fearless’ follows a similar vibe, confirming PRESIDENT know how to keep us hooked. If this EP is supposed to be similar to the stages of grief, then this song is very much the anger phase; “Take an oath, never know what you’ll leave behind. I don’t know, I’m just tired of your fuckin’ lies”. ‘Fearless’ is more raw than the rest of the tracks, there is an innocent vulnerability to President’s vocals that really sets it apart. It’s a big fuck you to the person they’ve always looked up to and we’ve all been angry at our loved ones, even if we still worship them secretly.
‘Rage’ and ‘Destroy Me’ deviate from the previous tracks formats – coming in like a classic EDM number, think the BICEPS track ‘Apricot’, ‘RAGE’ changes the tone from confusion to the longing of someone, the pining for someone. Soft throughout until the second chorus, this song is full of background harmonies and a choral drone. But as soon as we get that octave change it’s a chef’s kiss of wounded vocals and, nobody can deny, PRESIDENT has some pipes. ‘Destroy Me’ carries on in this style, slowly building up to a battle cry of unclean vocals that punches hard.
The final two tracks feel a lot more calmer than the rest of the EP. ‘Dionysus’ evokes a 2000’s nostalgia within the thick riffs and a catchy chorus whilst ‘Conclave’ starts with an opening piano melody similar to the classic 80’s tune ‘The Way It Is’. Both songs seem more hopeful, even the lyrics changing from anger to acceptance to the realisation that faith was never lost, just stumbled over. The layers of synths, piano and rhythm of ‘Conclave’ give the perfect ending, concluding the EPs narrative akin to end credits.
‘KING OF TERRORS’ has officially landed and it’s going to leave an impact. Regardless of the marketing, the hype and the diverse opinions, the band are smart; they’ve thrown us a banquet of anguish, then slowly replaced it with more hopeful chords and lyrics as a palette cleanser. This album is supposed to feel less angsty by the end, because it follows the journey of life. PRESIDENT are leaving us wanting more for a reason, Rome wasn’t built in a day and change can’t be brought forth overnight but hope can be given in an instant. And this is what ‘KING OF TERRORS’ is, it’s hope. Hope in an ever changing dangerous world, hope in a time that’s not promised. You don’t have to be a believer of God to relate to this EP, we’ve all lost our way in life at times only to work hard to have faith in ourselves again. So whether you’re confused with religious faith or just feeling lost in a very confusing world, PRESIDENT have shown us there is hope somewhere. Plus we all love a mystery.
KAT OSTICK