Presidents: Has a debut EP ever been more hotly anticipated?
Metalheads love a masked band. Maybe it’s the horror film shock value of it all, or the enigmatic draw of the unknown figures lurking on stage, but a band shrouded in mystery will always hold metal fans in a chokehold.
Take Slipknot, for instance, known for their infamous masks personifying beastly, not-so-human creatures. Coupled with their thrashing reinvention of industrial metal, amplified through vocalist Corey Taylor’s seething growls, the Iowa natives became one of metal’s most invigorating acts. While we know their identities behind the masks, their on-stage presence is certainly the more recognisable of the two.
Recent masked musicians such as Ghost and Sleep Token have entered the fold, leaning into the storytelling that can transpire thanks to the anonymity that masks and stage makeup afforded them. Metal and the gothic have always had an air of theatricality, yet as bands continue to conceal their identities, they offer a mystique that is lost in an age where the demand for musicians often equates to a lack of privacy.
President is the latest to join the masked metal band tradition. First appearing on Instagram in January with a series of ominous photos, it wasn’t until April that prospective fans got a glimpse of what the act looked like – or, at least, the personas they allowed the public to see. The frontman, known as ‘The Artist’, wears a mask of an old man, not dissimilar to something you’d see on an episode of The Twilight Zone, complete with deep-set wrinkles and a permanent frown.
While extremely uncanny, something enticing was rooted in their creepiness. Their wax-like persona was personified this June when President made their live debut at Download Festival, earning a prominent slot on the lineup despite being relatively unknown, with only two songs under their belt. Their performance was met with overwhelming praise, with fans and critics eager to hear more of what the strange new band had to offer, and deeming them a formidable presence in the new wave of metalcore.
Their highly awaited debut EP, King of Terrors, had fans ravenous, despite four of the six songs already being released. Hearing their first offering in sequence, President are good, but not overwhelmingly so. Sure, the breakdowns are headbangers, at times, and The Artist has an evident range, oscillating from soulful vocals to blistering screams. Disappointingly, much of their sound is overtaken by synths and rhythms that drown out any remnants of allure left behind by their mysterious introduction. Their cryptic introduction now feels like a bit of a tease, lacking the underlying danger that was promised.
It seems that the new generation of masked bands is somewhat reliant on the fodder garnered from the secrecy that enshrouds them. Not that this is entirely their fault; rather, the demand for answers behind who they are and what they’re all about has given no other option but their eventual debut to be relatively stagnant. President’s sound is not dissimilar to Sleep Token’s, yet another commonality in alignment with both bands’ staunch anonymity. The problem is that it all blends together, underwhelming in the wake of such anticipation.
Still, President are nascent and, given the range that metalcore continues to expand upon, there is room for The Artist and his men to evolve. One can hope that their self-inflicted obscurity will not continue to outweigh their sound. But, after all, the wonder of it all is half the fun.
