PRESIDENT bring their manifesto to life with powerful debut EP ‘KING OF TERRORS’
EP REVIEW | PRESIDENT – KING OF TERRORS by Heather Swift
When I first heard of PRESIDENT, I rolled my eyes: Oh great, another anonymous masked band whose mystery outweighs substance.
Then came the flood of videos capturing their debut live performance at Download Festival just months after their announcement, which had me very quickly eating my words.
Aside from powerful marketing and strong artist identity, PRESIDENT instantly made a name for themselves rooted in vivid, captivating storytelling and dynamic cross-genre soundscapes. Their campaign so far has been a showcase of guttural piercing vocals, monstrous guitar riffs and crashing crescendos, with electronic and synth elements adding vibrant textures to their dark, heavy composition. Despite not being able to put names to faces, PRESIDENT have constructed a vivid identity for themselves so far, and continue to with this EP. Dabbling in religious imagery and heavy riffs while exploring faith, death and existential dread, PRESIDENT has made it clear what their manifesto is: ‘an attempt to confront the uncomfortable’.
Since first going public in February of this year, their single releases have acted as a trail of breadcrumbs leading fans towards PRESIDENT’s debut EP ‘/KING OF TERRORS – a moving testament of all they have achieved in their story so far, as well as subtly marking out the guidelines for where they might venture in the future. While not entirely new material, the EP release provides a fresh opportunity to experience the band’s narrative front to back as a contextualised and curated piece of work exploring both old(er) and new testaments. KING OF TERRORS has promised to be not just a collection of their current discography, but also an intriguing insight into some of the PRESIDENT’s lore and mystery.
Listeners are invited into the experience with haunting, prayer-like echoes before being thrust headfirst into the powerful crusade of ‘In the Name of the Father’. This opening track presents PRESIDENT’s mission statement loud and clear, as the band cry out in search of a higher power against an explosive musical backdrop. The verse treads gently with distant synths, a soft but persistent drum beat and melodic, almost sensual vocals. With each chorus, powerful, all-consuming guitars and desperate, impenetrable scream vocals lead us higher and higher towards the heavens in search of a response.
If ‘In the Name of the Father’ is a cry for help, then next track ‘Fearless’ is a cathartic release. An explosion of pent up frustration soundtracked with PRESIDENT’s signature composition of dark and light – this time opting for a delicate trap beat and unguarded voice in those moments of quiet clarity during the sonic chaos. After these relenting powerhouses, ‘RAGE’ is a striking change of pace which, at first contrary to what you may expect from the title, showcases a lighter side to the band’s sound. Dreamy and intimate, ‘RAGE’ follows a string of dark ponderings against a backdrop of delicate drum and bass, as if trying to keep composed but slowly beginning to crack under the pressure and emotion. The eventual breakdown comes in a crashing wave of powerful screams of enraged desperation and thundering guitar riffs, before trailing off into the next track somewhat winded by the rollercoaster experience.
The halfway point of KING OF TERRORS marks a shift in songwriting tone, as the previous blind and unconditional desperation is replaced with something a little more self aware and critical. After a brief moment of recovery and recollection from its previous track, ‘Destroy Me’ comes in strong, bringing back the same energy of earlier tracks while favouring a more melodic and reflective timbre.
The next two, previously unreleased tracks are softer but no less powerful. Not as immediately catchy, but perhaps even more resonant than any of their work thus far. ‘Dionysus’ is a guttural cry out to the gods, or anyone who may be listening. As PRESIDENT sings “If I stare at the stars for long enough / Would I see your smile?” the entire chorus seems to rise from its grounded verses and lift us with it, providing that ultimate feeling of music drawing your soul out with each poignant note. Concluding the EP is ‘Conclave’, a vulnerable tell-all which spurs on with a display of powerful, pain-drenched vocals in what feels like a realisation of peaceful defeat. The final notes ring out, leaving behind a heavy, piercing silence – the mark of any impactful listening experience.
And with that, KING OF TERRORS is finally here – a powerful odyssey of PRESIDENT’s journey so far that leads us through an exclusive insight of the band’s world. Yes, it does leave a little more to be desired, but isn’t that the goal of any artist’s first extended installment to their discography – to leave us craving more? While their initial boom in intrigue and social media buzz at first seemed unsustainable and initially unjustified, this EP is bulletproof evidence that PRESIDENT are more than a successful marketing campaign but a group with undeniable talent, a resonant voice for storytelling and a sound and story that shows promise of growing even further.
While their sound isn’t exactly innovative or brand new within their genre – with some very visible similarities to artists like Sleep Token, Bad Omens and Bring Me The Horizon – there’s something undeniably captivating and authentic to PRESIDENT’s story and musical delivery that allows them to stand strong as their own unique entity. With KING OF TERRORS this enigma of the UK’s heavy music scene has proved itself to be a key name and sound in today’s music climate.
KING OF TERRORS is OUT NOW and can be found HERE.
