ALBUM REVIEW ~ I PREVAIL ~ 'POST TRAUMATIC'

Post Traumatic, I Prevail, I'm Music Magazine, Every Time You Leave, Deadweight, Caleb Shomo

When I was photographing 2019 Blue Ridge Rock Fest, I knew I would come across some new music. Apparently I had been hiding under a rock, because that was an understatement! Of the few main stage bands I had not heard anything before, I walked away a big fan of I Prevail. The pure energy that was exuded from these guys, to the crowd was amazing. It was obvious that the band and crowd were feeding off each other, making the performance even better.

The boys of I Prevail have attempted to bottle that magical performance talent they posses, in the form of their latest release, Post Traumatic . This live album contains the best of the hit album Trauma recorded on their recent 2019/2020 tour. The quality of the recording is superb, mixed at just the right levels so the band is prominent yet the crowd is still heard. That’s important with this album.

The track “Bow Down” is a great example of this symbiotic relationship between band and fan. You can hear the band fill in the lyrics along with scream vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe, at a pivotal point in the song. This track was recorded in Grand Rapids, MI so it had the added benefit of being a “close to home” show, as I Prevail hail from the Metro Detroit area. “Breaking Down” was actually recorded in Detroit, and with it being such an important song to lead vocalist Brian Burkheiser, it’s pretty awesome to hear the crowd singing along with him.

There are some new offerings on this album. There’s a new version of the hit song “Hurricane” that has been “reimagined” in their words. There’s also a collaboration with EDM artists Illenium & Excision. The song, called “Feel Something” is a nice blend of the two genres represented. The music still incorporates the emotional roller coaster of someone struggling to actually feel something, just like the song laments. “Just let me feel something….”

Every band out there is finding ways to keep their fans engaged during the current pandemic. I Prevail has done the next best thing to a live show. They brought the show to us. Well done guys!

I’m Music Magazine Photographer/Writer Michele Hancock