True Power

Following their Grammy-nominated 2019 effort Trauma, Michigan post-hardcore act I Prevail returned with the genre-blurring True Power. Infusing their typical aggressive attack with electronic production heft and some cross-genre wizardry, the band expands their approach to cinematic levels, akin to similar evolutions by fellow metalcore contemporaries like Bring Me the Horizon. Still retaining their core sound, they stretch their limits in melodic and attention-grabbing ways. Their clean/dirty vocal assault is merged with rapping on the churning "Bad Things" and "FWYTYK," while the yearning "Deep End" and "Closure" are borderline pop. "Choke" respectfully channels the rock-rap-electronic formula of predecessors Linkin Park, just as the albums most unhinged material explodes from the tape like Slipknot, bashing listeners on tracks like the pummeling "Body Bag" and "Visceral." Theres something here for every variant of scene kid, whipping from brutality to melodic beauty within seconds, resulting in their most accessible and addictive album to date. ~ Neil Z. Yeung