Review: Prophets – The Youth

Hailing from the town of Hamilton, Canada, this 5-piece hardcore band is about to drop The Youth, their full-length debut. Prophets are known for their aggressive approach to the genre, but balance it out with some melodic influences as well.

The band makes no attempt at being different than they are. Right away, from the opening riffs on album-opener ‘The Youth,’ it is clear that this band is pissed off and they have something to say. Vocalist Ian Flynn creates no illusions and starts off huge; “I’ll scream out loud until my lungs give out because I am not afraid to be a minority in a crowd of followers.” Lyrically, this album is very strong, as most of the lyrics are relatable, but they can also be helpful, as there is the occasional positive message.

This album is filled to the brim with emotion, something that Flynn portrays extremely well. Even though his vocals are vicious to the point of being venomous, they all carry weight with them. This specifically shines on ‘Martyr’ and ‘Headrush,’ in which Flynn screams his lungs out over musical interludes, giving him the room he deserves.

Instrumentally, the band makes its own stand. Where Flynn delivers vocals that are near to perfection, drummer Jordan Trask is responsible for the tight and upbeat drumming, and also more than capable of handling the few interludes that the album has. Together with guitarists Ben Alexander and Marcin Malinowski, they bring some of the most aggressive breakdowns of the year.

Even though the band spends most of their time making aggressive hardcore, the occasional melodic riff can be heard as well, which gives the album some variation, as can be heard on ‘Chances Lost,’ a track that is almost fully instrumental, but features clean vocals at the end, showing us yet another side of Flynn.

Production-wise, this album delivers as well. Jay Maas (Defeater, Make Do and Mend) worked together with Derek Hoffman, who can also be heard on ‘Clockwise.’on the production and the mastering, giving the listener a very raw album, with a heavy musical sound and piercing vocals.

Tracklist – The Youth