Released 19 September 2025
Fearless Records
I Prevail return with their fifth studio album, Violent Nature and upon first listen, it may not divide the fan base as large as initially thought. Following the departure of one of the band’s key members, Brian Burkheiser, I Prevail’s forthcoming new chapter feels worriesome to many fans. However, Violent Nature proves to the fanbase that the band are not straying too far from their depths and that regular programming is here to stay.
Opening track ‘Synthetic Soul‘ sees now main vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe step up his emotional senses. In the haunting, pulsating intro, he leads the boys into this brand new chapter, layer by layer peeled back revealing a refined new metalcore band. ‘NWO‘ dives into familiar territory for fans, allowing us to sink our senses into fiery metal that is very Trauma-esque.
‘Pray‘ offers catchy post-hardcore that begs to remain a constant on your playlist. While unusual at first listen, you’ll soon be bopping your head to this earworm and it soon dares to go as hard as ‘Hurricane‘ does. ‘Annihilate Me‘ levels up this maturity before dropping the post-chorus breakdown. While the obvious magic of Brian isn’t present, Eric’s newly defined role does add a different kind of flair and as a longtime I Prevail fan, I’m embracing it.
Perhaps the biggest change on Violent Nature is its title track. As we all know, this was the introduction to the band’s fourth chapter and yep, it left the fanbase quite astounded. Although the track is deafening and bleeds an almost death metal stance, I am a fan that refuses to define the band on just one track alone. Over the years, I Prevail have evolved into one of rock and metal’s finest acts. There are many layers that make up their musical identity; if ‘Violent Nature‘ doesn’t sit with you, there are nine absolute bangers on this record that likely will.
One critique noticed about this record though is that it doesn’t offer much progression compared to past albums. Plenty of familiarity is there for the fanbase to lap up; however, there are no strong standouts. ‘Into Hell‘ does its absolute best though in manoeuvering the band’s style into expansive post-hardcore territory. I just felt it was missing that extra oomph from True Power.
While ‘Crimson & Clover‘ is a beautiful love ballad that will resonate nicely at future live arena shows, it is ‘God‘ that’ll have circlepits raging and fists will be pumping. Outside of ‘Violent Nature‘, this is the melt-your-face-off anthem you’ve been waiting for if you’ve been twiddling your thumbs for the past few songs. It’s worth the wait, trust me; even for soft ears, that pulsating beat in the background will keep you captivated, slowly opening your senses to the hell it serves.
The album’s finale ‘Stay Away‘ offers a full circle moment, almost returning to similar elements of ‘Synthetic Soul‘. There’s some cool synth sounds happening throughout the riffs and melodies and it almost ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. While it feels underwhelming after the mighty ‘God‘, it does its job in leaving you salivating for more I Prevail. Better hit that repeat button hard.
I’ve been a fan of I Prevail since the Lifelines days and through each new release, I have always found their ability to push their sound even further than before awe-inspiring. While Violent Nature doesn’t feel as fully progressive as its predecessors, it does say one thing. I Prevail are confident in their current state and I have zero doubt that they will continue to dominate the mainstream metal scene for years to come.
Rating: 8/10
Review by Tamara May
Violent Nature is out now. Purchase/Listen here
I Prevail – Violent Nature tracklisting:
1. Synthetic Soul
2. NWO
3. Pray
4. Annihilate Me
5. Violent Nature
6. Rain
7. Into Hell
8. Crimson & Clover
9. God
10. Stay Away
