CONCERT REVIEW: Masked Mystique Meets Musical Brilliance as PRESIDENT Deliver the Set of the Weekend at Graspop Metal Meeting
I can remember the day as if it were yesterday, which, admittedly, isn’t a massive feat in itself, given it’s only been a year. But the day PRESIDENT first crashed onto my radar with their debut single In The Name Of The Father was the exact moment a dormant musical fire was completely rekindled inside of me. The song stylings were as completely unique as they were infectious, tackling raw, real-world struggles that were perfectly punctuated by a piercing scream that exemplified that exact emotional rawness.
Ever since that initial spark, my anticipation for every subsequent release has been at an all-time high, and I am absolutely thrilled to see their debut album, Blood Of Your Empire, finally hit the digital shelves later this summer. With that level of personal hype as an introduction, it should come as absolutely no surprise that PRESIDENT’s set at Graspop Metal Meeting was the absolute, undisputed highlight of the entire weekend for both my wife and me.
We previously caught the band in Amsterdam at the beginning of the year, back when they only had a handful of songs to their name. That night, they blasted through a frantic 30-minute set representing their entire body of work at the time, which included a phenomenal Deftones cover. Fast forward to Dessel, and that very same cover made the cut once again, but this time, the surrounding framework was entirely different.
At Graspop, this felt like our first actual full-scale concert experience with the band. Thanks to a rapidly growing discography, PRESIDENT were finally able to command the stage for nearly an hour, and my god, they did not disappoint. Every single aspect of their performance, from the dramatic entrance to the iconic, pristine attire and the hauntingly creepy masks, solidifies PRESIDENT as a visual force to be reckoned with. The stage production was deeply atmospheric, bathed in the distinct pink lighting synonymous with the Destroy Me music video, while the band’s logo sat beautifully plastered across a presidential lectern, as well as floated above the band.
Yet, as impressive as the theatrical aesthetics are, it became rapidly apparent that the visual storytelling only comes second to the band’s sheer musical prowess. The anonymous frontman effortlessly belted out a setlist that requires a jaw-dropping vocal range. Seamlessly transitioning from delicate, haunting falsettos to bone-chilling, emotional screams, his delivery left me standing in the crowd with goosebumps covering my arms for half the set.
Behind the mask, the musicianship is tight, calculated, and incredibly cohesive, with cinematic interludes playing between songs to further build upon the project’s deep-rooted mystique. Every single moving part of PRESIDENT is meticulously crafted, from the intricate studio layers to the live execution, and it hits right in the sweet spot of everything I love about heavy music.
Personally, both on tape and on the stage, PRESIDENT are proving themselves to be one of the most exciting, vital new forces in the alternative scene today. They are a masterclass of exceptionally talented musicians and natural-born showmen, and we cannot wait to see them completely take over the world when the new album drops.
