New Music Review: I PREVAIL ‘TRUE POWER’

Rating: 9.5 / 10 Stars

I PREVAIL is: Brian Burkheiser (clean vocals), Eric Vanlerberghe (unclean vocals), Steve Menoian (lead guitar/programming), Dylan Bowman (rhythm guitar), Gabe Helguera (drums)

REVIEW – Two years after redefining their sound and story with Trauma, I PREVAIL return swinging with ‘TRUE POWER’—a record that doesn’t just follow up their breakthrough, it burns everything down and rebuilds it from the inside out. Releasing August 19, 2022 via Fearless Records, this album is heavier, louder, and more unapologetically honest than anything the band has released to date.

From the explosive opener “There’s Fear In Letting Go”, the message is clear: this isn’t about proving anything to anyone. It’s about owning the chaos and unleashing everything they’ve been holding back. The production hits like a freight train—massive guitars, surgical drums, eerie electronics, and a vocal performance that borders on savage.

Lead singles “Body Bag” and “Bad Things” showcase the duality that’s always defined I PREVAIL, but here it’s turned to 11. Eric Vanlerberghe sounds absolutely feral, spitting venom and pain with razor-sharp precision, while Brian Burkheiser delivers some of his most melodic, emotionally vulnerable clean vocals yet. The contrast doesn’t just work—it cuts deeper than ever before.

Tracks like “Self-Destruction”, “Judgement Day”, and “FWYTYK” bring in arena-sized hooks and brutal breakdowns, blending metalcore with nu-metal, post-hardcore, and modern rock without sounding like anyone but themselves. And when they slow it down, like on “Deep End” or “Doomed”, the vulnerability and self-awareness hit just as hard as the riffs.

Lyrically, TRUE POWER is a purge. It’s about what it means to fall apart and still keep fighting. There’s pain here—real, lived-in pain—but there’s also clarity. You can feel the scars. You can feel the evolution. And you can tell that I PREVAIL didn’t just make this record for fans—they made it for themselves.

As always, Steve Menoian’s guitar and production work holds everything together with cinematic scale and crushing weight, while new drummer Gabe Helguera adds fresh blood and blistering energy to the rhythm section. The band feels reborn, and more united than ever.

TRUE POWER is exactly what it claims to be. It’s the sound of a band that’s been through the storm, sharpened by adversity, and now weaponizing every piece of who they are. If Trauma was survival, TRUE POWER is resurgence. This is I PREVAIL in full control—and they’re not backing down.