Before I begin my review of this album, I am just going to point out that, even though it’s fairly obvious at this point who is behind President, I am choosing to not mention them by name going forward. They want the music to speak for itself and on debut full-length album, Blood Of Your Empire they absolutely do that!
Kicking things off with Angel Wings, along its anthemic hook and catchy chorus, they are clearly not wasting any time. A common theme in this album’s lyrics is a feeling of existential crisis, further expanding from the band’s debut EP King Of Terrors, as well as humanity’s relationship with faith. The latter theme being tackled prominently on dark heaven with a chorus of “I used to stare at the cross and cry out for god, but I’m not the person I was.” The band’s frontman saying in a statement before Blood Of Your Empire released “religion has inspired incredible passion, purpose and beauty in this world. But it has also been responsible for unimaginable suffering and bloodshed throughout history. This album lives in the tension between those two truths”
In the opinion of this writer, President’s debut album is an excellent 10 track offering, filled with amazing performances from each of its anonymous masked members, but it would be a disservice to not specifically mention the incredible drumming throughout its 37 minute runtime. Especially with a song like Pink Noise where he is hitting the skins like a madman! This album is a fusion of multiple genres all at once, just hearing This Will Divide Us, a much softer approach than the band is typically known for, then immediately going into penultimate track Hate Figure with a feature from emerging artist Ando San which includes punishing screams as well as some rapping shows as much. The second of which happens to be my personal highlight on this record, crushing vocals and some very pointed lyrics in the chorus about previous projects from the frontman “I used to be a hate figure, put up with your shit. Had to navigate piss bottles thrown from the pit. It’s been 21 years now, are we in a reprise? Dealing with new media and all its fucking lies”
What President has accomplished here is quite simply a brilliant album that should hopefully tone down the naysayers and their nonsensical claims of “industry plant” and if there’s any justice in the music landscape they should skyrocket up the bills of festivals and start to tour in larger venues throughout the world. Because with Blood Of Your Empire, if they hadn’t already, President has staked their claim to achieving just that.
We here at Comic Book Clique/Dirt Sheet Radio give this album a 9/10 and recommend the tracks DOOM LOOP, Pink Noise, Hate Figure and Sleepwalker