I Prevail “Violent Nature” Album Review
Grammy-nominated rock heavyweights I Prevail return this September with their highly anticipated fourth studio album, Violent Nature (Fearless Records, out September 19). Across ten tracks, the band lean into some of their darkest and most intense material to date, produced entirely by bassist Jon Eberhard. This record not only pushes their sonic boundaries but also marks a pivotal moment in their journey, as Eric Vanlerberghe steps forward as the band’s sole lead vocalist.
The opening track Synthetic Soul subverts expectations. Eric begins in a clean, almost angelic register, delivering soaring vocals few would expect from him. While his presence on recent albums leaned more on guttural power, here you hear the payoff of his work behind the scenes. For the first minute it is mostly Eric, but around the one-minute mark the band crashes in with a tight instrumental mini-breakdown. The verses carry a cyberpunk-esque edge, with slick production that feels futuristic and anthemic. Catchy and layered with detail, it ends in a crushing breakdown where Eric unleashes his trademark screams. As an opener, it makes a bold statement about how far I Prevail have come and how their experience has shaped a sound that feels both evolved and distinctly their own.
The second track, NWO (New World Order), is an immediate standout and one of the album’s most explosive moments. From the first hit it comes swinging, the kind of track that makes you wonder who pissed them off. The verses charge forward with relentless energy, the chorus hooks itself into your head, and the breakdown is devastating. It’s the kind of moment you replay just to make sure you really heard it. NWO is pure catharsis: catchy, crushing, and tailor-made for festival stages where its intensity can hit at full force.
With Pray, I Prevail once again prove how easily they can write a song that sticks. The chorus is sharp, the melodies infectious, and the mix polished without tipping into overproduction. Still, while enjoyable, it doesn’t quite break new ground. In a crowded metalcore landscape, it feels like a moment where I Prevail could have taken a bigger creative leap. The song works, but it leaves you hoping they’ll push further and carve out a sound only they can own.
Annihilate Me arrived ahead of the album on August 15 and quickly proved itself a highlight. Its soaring chorus shows just how much I Prevail’s songwriting has matured over the past decade. Easy to imagine as a live centrepiece, this track feels built for arenas and festival singalongs.
The title track Violent Nature was the first single to drop and marked a clear shift in direction with Eric now fully at the helm as sole vocalist. It’s a testament to the band’s ability to orchestrate crushing instrumentals, with every beat hitting like a truck. Compared to their discography, it stands apart as something darker, heavier, and more unforgiving than almost anything they’ve released before. One of their heaviest tracks to date, it declares that this new era of I Prevail won’t pull any punches.
Rain is one of the album’s most emotionally charged songs, balancing heaviness with vulnerability. Its lyrics circle themes of hopelessness and apathy, with lines like “It’s getting hard to find a meaning” and “We were all just born to suffer” painting a bleak picture. Yet the recurring plea to “let it rain, wash over me” suggests cleansing and release, as if the suffering could finally be washed away. Musically, it feels both aggressive and cathartic, its storm-like intensity mirroring the turmoil in the words.
Into Hell shows how I Prevail are reshaping their sound. Vanlerberghe steps confidently into clean vocal territory, delivering melodies that balance seamlessly with his harsher edge. The interplay feels less like a departure and more like a natural progression, proving the band can evolve without abandoning what made them stand out.
Crimson & Clover stands as the record’s ballad, reaching back into I Prevail’s roots while offering something fresh. It carries the spirit of a throwback yet lands with new weight, reminding listeners of the melodic foundations that shaped their rise. Eric delivers some of his most heartfelt lyrics and strongest clean vocals here, making it one of the deepest and most relatable moments on the album.
And then there’s God, one of the heaviest cuts on the record, standing alongside Violent Nature and NWO. It hits like a spin kick, unrelenting in its violence and chaos. The gutturals are unlike anything Eric has delivered before, deeper and more vicious, tearing through the mix. Add in sudden tempo shifts and beat switches, and the result is feral and unpredictable. God captures I Prevail at their most extreme, proving they can still surprise even their long-time listeners.
The closer Stay Away highlights Eric’s cleans once more, this time layered with screams in the ambience. It leans into atmosphere, carrying an ambient quality that makes it stand apart from much of the record. While swapping its place with God might have delivered an even stronger finale, Stay Away still leaves a lasting impression, closing the album on a softer but haunting note.
Photo Credit: Reilly Clark
Violent Nature feels like the first step into a new era of I Prevail. With Eric now taking the sole spotlight as lead vocalist, the band explore uncharted territory that could define how they move forward. The record shows real range, from crushing heaviness to soaring ballads, and hints at just how far they can push their sound. At times it leans into familiar territory, but more often it feels like a band pushing themselves into uncharted ground. If Violent Nature is any indication, I Prevail are only beginning to discover how far they can take this new chapter.