PRESIDENT // WHO, WHY, WHAT'S NEW?

Sometimes in the music world, things can start to get a little bit same old same old. Mindless pop melodies stretched out to within an inch of their lives, every EDM track edging you further and further along until they hit the beat drop, and recently the craze sweeping metal, masked bands. In April last year I wrote an op-ed about this craze, and stated pretty inconsequentially that as long as the music was good, I wouldn't have any complaints. Then I heard about the newest kids on the block, PRESIDENT, a masked metal band jumping on that same bandwagon. But do these guys deserve their space in the masked metal cannon, or are they simply attempting to ride on the coat tails of the giants that paved the way before them? Let's talk...

Attempting to stay clued up on these guys is a bit like attempting to decipher Trump's presidential strategy - there's not really much to be going off of. Back in February, when the line-up to this years annual Download Festival was released to the public, metalheads began to notice a band known as PRESIDENT had snuck on to the bill on the Sunday of the festival. Immediately, people began to dig, but nothing came back to them until shortly after the announcement, when an Instagram page was created and cryptic teasers were released. These included images of the shady 'frontman' of the band, backlit, holding an old microphone, with captions like 'T H E - F U T U R E - S T A R T S - N O W' and 'J O I N - T H E - C A M P A I G N'. They showed glimpses of this new masked maniac, and all I can say is that on first impressions, I really didn't like what they were putting down. The mask seemed to be ill-fitting, and along with the costume combo, felt a little bit...well, shit. When we already have massive bands that look aesthetically stunning and put on spectacles, these guys would have to put in a little more legwork to get me onboard. It was then announced that their lead single In the Name of the Father would be released on the 15th of May, it marked their first ever release, and the first tase of what was to come.

On first listen, I wasn't completely sold. It took me a while to come to terms with the track, which blended metal, melodic vocals and short sharp extremes to really hammer home it's core motifs. After a while, I began to warm to it, and started to appreciate the look of the band a little more. Sure, the mask is goofy, but I see it more as disturbing, like someone is trying to wear the skin of another, instead of a badly fitted latex prop. I even found myself liking the look of the other band members, in their jumpsuits and hoods. They then released a second track on June 5th, titled Fearless, which I love. Lyrically diverse and thought provoking, while keeping a solid tempo and really crunchy metal core instrumentation, I found myself again gaining more confidence in this band. It seemed like they did indeed have the nuts to back up this blended style with some very serious skill, and although the use of digital callouts in both tracks did irritate me slightly (the shoutout of 'father' in one and the repeated byte of the word 'fearless' in the other) they were both really growing on me. Both style and substance seemed to be merging at a pretty solid centre point.

Fearless came with another cryptic music video, which even included what seemed to be a fake unmask from the mysterious centre to this new band - but fans suspect otherwise. Like with every other anonymous band at the moment, some people can’t let a good thing last, with many fans attempting to point the finger at Charlie Simpson of Busted fame as the potential lead, but so far nothings been confirmed and to my knowledge not much evidence has been supplied - and to be honest, i'm not too desperate to see behind the curtain on this one.

Then came their first ever live performance on the Dogtooth Stage at Download. People rallied to the tiny stage, over spilling the tents boundaries to try and get a glimpse of the band, and as they arrived to the stage in limousines branded with the bands logos, the stage was set for a moment that could make or break their career - and for all intents and purposes, they smashed it out the park. Playing both released singles as bookends, as well as a slew of new songs no one had heard before, people who got the pleasure of being able to see the band live for the first time claimed they were an electric presence, and that they deserved their formative moments in the spotlight. The tracks debuted were Dionysus, Rage and Destroy Me, bringing their catalogue up to five tracks in all. They powered through their electrifying set, and left fans baying for more - but they wouldn’t really get their wish until very recently.

On the 18th of July, PRESIDENT announced their first EP King of Terrors would be released on September 26th, a six track offering of all known songs in their current catalogue plus a new one called Conclave, the closing song on the record. To coincide with this, they also released their third single RAGE, which I have to say is my favourite release from them so far. Mixing dynamic electronic elements alongside almost math rock metalcore, its intricate and powerful, creating some really gorgeous moments of ebb and flow that make me really excited for this brand new record to come out. Lyrically it's once again thought provoking, and overall makes for a really dynamic listen. The EP itself was made available to pre-order on physical formats, as well as new 'uniform' offerings (merchandise) to coincide with the release. Mere hours after, the vinyl on their official store sold out - so clearly they're in pretty high demand.

On Wednesday the 30th of July, the presale for their first ever headline tour went live as well, boasting a thirteen date run of Europe and the UK. Until now, PRESIDENT have only performed two headliners, Download and a gig at The Garage in London on the same day, so being able to do an impressively spread live tour shows once again how in demand this new band is. Again, I've heard positive reviews about their latest outing, with only small criticism over their small catalogue and run time, clocking in at about 45 minutes for the whole set. They also covered iconic Deftones track Change (In the House of Flies) which I've seen clips of and can confidently say is pretty cool. PRESIDENT go on to support Architects on their Australian and European tour at the end of this year.

So, as for my opinion on these guys, after their shaky start it seems like they've done an amazing job at making a name for themselves. It took a while for me to warm up to them, but I can happily say now that I really enjoy their music and am looking forward to see what this new chapter of PRESIDENT has to offer. What I will say is that now, in the space between the release of their new EP, I don't think they should release any new singles, and just let us stew in the anticipation for a while. The barrage of new releases and shows has been a lot to take on, and with only six tracks on this new project, half of it has already been released, with two of those songs being performed already live. I have also got a ticket to see them on that UK leg of their tour, and am both excited and mildly apprehensive. Although I love their music, and can't wait to experience their live show and get a true feel for them all as musicians - I really hope by that point they have more music out, or at least the confidence to do some more covers to bulk out their set. Although tickets were cheap, a 45 minute set in some of the venues they are planning to perform in seems like too little material for such big crowds (which include the Nick Raynes LCR as well as O2 Forum Kentish Town) These are monster venues, which demand an energetic set to get the most out of their brilliance, and might leave long time fans feeling sour about a lack of change in their live offerings. But we'll see. For now, PRESIDENT are at the top of their game, so let's see if they have the stamina to keep it up until April.