REVIEW: For Today – Prevailer

For Today

Band: For Today
Album: Prevailer EP
Genre: Metalcore
Label: Razor & Tie

If you’ve been aware of metalcore for more than a couple months you’re likely aware that there’s a large subsect of it aptly called “Christian metalcore” in which bands play pretty regular metalcore, but also happen to sing mostly about their faith. For Today is one of these bands, perhaps even the biggest Christan metalcore band active today (Immortal, their debut with Razor & Tie, peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200 in 2012). Now, about eleven months after Immortal‘s release, they’re dropping a followup EP titled Prevailer.

As far as metalcore goes, there’s a reason that For Today are of the most popular these days. Crafting songs that mix some super heavy breakdown/chug sections with some cool (even if sometimes a bit unimaginitve) guitar riffs and super catchy vocal hooks. In today’s more mainstream metal landscape, that’s pretty much the ultimate ticket to success. For Today totally nail it. Even in just five songs, For Today have managed to compile a handful of full-on mosh sections, a couple legitimately cool guitar riffs (mid 90s melodeath riffs are definitely still cool), a few very memorable vocal hooks and a “we can be sensitive, too” acoustic track.

Where the major point of contention comes in, however, are the band’s lyrics. Lines like “It should have been me with the nails in my hands and feet” really put the band’s faith out there – perhaps people just aren’t a fan of Jesus, or For Today singing about how they feel about him. Truth be told, though, the lyrics on Prevailer are legitimately cool. What if you had no idea For Today were singing about their faith? That aforementioned line is a great line, it just happens to be about Jesus. If you’re not into that, just imagine the band’s singing about some other guy who was nailed to something. Brutal.

At the end of the day, Prevailer is more of the same from For Today. A well-produced, solid, standard-issue metalcore album about the band’s faith. If you’re somehow surprised by this you clearly haven’t paid much attention to the band, their music or the band’s live show. Just about everything already said about this band applies to Prevailer, just in an abbreviated sense. If you like mainstream metalcore and Jesus, Prevailer is for you. If you like just one of those things, you still might like it. If you don’t like either of those things, this is most definitely not for you.

Score: 7/10
Review written by: Jordan Munson

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One Response to “REVIEW: For Today – Prevailer”

  1. BCK says:

    So, summarized:

    “9.5/10, but Jesus automatically takes away 2.5 points, to leave a total of 7/10.”

    Terribad review.