TRUE POWER is I Prevail's sonic spiritual successor to TRAUMA. They found their sound back in 2019, and with this new record it seems they've managed to refine it even more, yet at the same time diversifying their sound in a way that's fresh yet still very much them. I Prevail has been one of the best modern metal bands in the past few years, coming at us with a musical blend of metalcore, rock and pop elements that they can call their own.
They sound a lot more confident in their own style in this record, not afraid to experiment and go for sounds that aren't expected of them. A lot of the tracks on this record stray away from generic metalcore, although that is not to say that none of their tracks are still good ol' I Prevail-brand metalcore. Body Bag is ruthlessly heavy but not in the way you expect, Self-Destruction has a really cool and unique rap-infused metalcore sound, FWYTYK has a very chill and groovy kind of heavy.
I love how they've diversified their sound with this record. Their heavy has gotten heavier, their soft has gotten softer. Their angry has gotten angrier and their emotional has gotten emotional-er. No matter what sound though, they absolutely know how to do catchy, and they absolutely are capable of bangers.
I don't have too much to say to be honest. They're not super technical or complex, and as a band that's not their focus. I respect that entirely, and I love that they make accessible modern metal music that everyone can enjoy, from pop listeners with an edge to elitists who think that not enough screams and riffs makes a band a sellout (although I've heard there are still some who dislike this record for being too soft, which is kind of dumb). It's a fun record to put on, they're all extremely listenable and it's obviously passionate and creative. They make music because they love it, they do what they want, they're not following formulas to try and get more plays or fit some perception. It's a blast to get more of their music, and there's really nothing not to love about it.
Rating: 9/10