PRESIDENT - 'Mercy'
Metalcore’s newest slasher villains have unveiled their most ethereal and gut-wrenching track to date, and while the band may be faceless, the music is uniquely identifiable and truly brilliant.
PRESIDENT hit the scene last year with a variety of elusive teasers and singles that culminated in multiple shows across the world. These shows spread like wildfire with word of mouth, creating a genuine buzz around the band, and it’s great to see that this buzz has not died. The faceless four-piece has created a brilliant intersection of styles with every track. ‘Mercy’ takes this blend of styles, collates it with all the power of its unnamed vocalists’ gorgeous and prudent vocal sections and allows the track to transcend genre ties, refusing to be put in a box and instead choosing to exist as it is with no remorse. The electronic elements of this track work perfectly with the dropped and discordant guitar pieces of the choruses, allowing the whole track to blend together perfectly through its exceptional production quality.
PRESIDENT is tantalising in every way; the quality of the tracks carries a familiar sincerity to them that brilliantly contrasts with the mystique of their anonymity. This mystery spills into the music while still managing to remain identifiable and excellent. Metalcore has been in a great place talent-wise for a while now, but outside of bands like Bring Me The Horizon, there hasn’t been a quietly whispered level of excitement like this for some time. This plays into their hands perfectly, as the secrecy that surrounds every release and every live show makes the audience feel like they’re in on something that they shouldn’t know. That feeling transfers itself perfectly into ‘Mercy’ with its dulcet electronic sounds emitting nostalgic horror elements before doing what this band does best, colliding in a chaotic medley of tonal perfection and aggressive catchy chord progressions, brutally dynamic and inexplicably spectacular, this track stands to become one of PRESIDENT’s best.
PRESIDENT kick off their UK tour this spring, playing a laundry list of venues around the country in what is bound to be a stretch of shows that will be etched in the minds of their audience eternally. While still shrouded in mystery, the band has built a reputable and strong fanbase that not only supports each release but sell out their shows. The anticipation is clear as every single one of these shows has completely sold out, so if you were one of the lucky few to get one, let the inauguration begin, and if you weren’t, keep a close eye on these future superstars.
Words by Josh Pook
