Maximum Metal Rating Legend
5 Excellent - Masterpiece. A classic.
4.5-4 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a lacking.
3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler.
3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
2.5-2 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors.
1.5-1 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
0 Terrible - Waste of your life and time.

Note: Reviews are graded from 0-5, anything higher or not showing is from our old style. Scores, however, do not reveal the important features. The written review that accompanies the ratings is the best source of information regarding the music on our site. Reviewing is opinionated, not a qualitative science, so scores are personal to the reviewer and could reflect anything from being technically brilliant to gloriously cheesy fun.

Demos and independent releases get some slack since the bands are often spent broke supporting themselves and trying to improve. Major releases usually have big financial backing, so they may be judged by a heavier hand. All scores can be eventually adjusted up or down by comparison of subsequent releases by the same band. We attempt to keep biases out of reviews and be advocates of the consumer without the undo influence of any band, label, management, promoter, etc.

The best way to determine how much you may like certain music is to listen to it yourself.
Band
For I Am King
Title
I
Type
LP/EP
Company
Redfield
YOR
2018
Style
Death
10/20/2019 - Review by: Greg Watson
Significant hooks and heaviness to reel you
With 2016's 'Daemons', For I Am King threw their name into the proverbial ring of metalcore acts that you should pay attention to. 2018 brings us 'I', the band's full-length sophomore release and one that brings all of the groove and melody from 'Daemons' and adds in matured songwriting and thoughtful music rather than just trying to shatter your eardrums from the get go. The subtle, synth heavy intro to opener "Prey" is obliterated 30 seconds in by a ferocious growl from singer Alma Alizadeh that is then followed by a musical onslaught from the rest of the band. This song is a great way to kick things off as it is right in the band's wheelhouse and sets the tone for the rest of the album.

"Forever Blind" channels a little bit of Shadows Fall with its twin guitar assault and the way that guitarists Wouter Cammelbeeck and Koen Scheepens play off of each other throughout the track. Alizadeh's vocals feel as though they are channeling Angela Gossow with their raspy growls. "Misery" is a track that really gives pause as it features a clean guitar intro backed by haunting synthesizers and has spoken growls as the music slowly builds up in intensity before letting loose at about the 90 second mark. I would have loved to have seen the song continue on the initial path and held some of the heaviness out. The second half of the album has my two favorite tracks on it. "Devotion" is a Parkway Drive influenced song with the riff sounding like a B-side off of 'Reverence'. The cadence of the vocals and overall feel of "Devotion" just really hits all the right buttons. On what I feel is the band's most aggressive track, "In Memory" starts out fairly heavy but it is the last twenty seconds that just delivers this crushing groove that is carried by drummer Jaap Relou and bassist Jurgen van Straaten. Those twenty seconds make me want to obliterate anything that gets in my way. The lyrics are also a bit of a surprise as the song is talking about dealing with the impending death of a loved one. "I held you close, I think you know/Maybe it's time to let you go, let you go/I'm looking for closure but too scared to forget/Must I move forward or do I stay with regret". Really interesting lyrics and not quite what you'd expect from a crushingly heavy song like this.

Speaking of the lyrics, I was really impressed with the songwriting on this album as you can really feel the personal touches that are put in by Alizadeh and the thoughtfulness that Cammelbeeck, Scheepens, Relou and van Straaten put into helping the music match the lyrics. It really shows a large growth as artists the way they've matured in the overall process. One minor aggravation was that I felt the higher screams felt a little forced at times on a couple of the tracks and didn't feel natural or well placed. Other than that though, I was thoroughly impressed with the steps that FIAK have taken as a band with 'I'. You will be hard pressed to find a better metalcore album in 2018 and I encourage fans of the genre to go out and get this album.




PERSONAL BREAKDOWN:

ENJOYMENT
4.5
MUSIC
4.5
VOCALS
4
PRODUCTION
4
ARTWORK
2
LYRICS
3.5


  • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
    4 :AVE RATING

ALL REVIEWS FOR: FOR I AM KING
TITLE
DOR
COMPANY
REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
Daemons
2016
Redfield
Greg Watson6/25/2016
5
I
2018
Redfield
Greg Watson10/20/2019
4
Revengeance
2014
Independent
Eric Compton7/5/2014
3
We All Have Demons
2016
Redfield
Greg Watson4/4/2016
5

ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: FOR I AM KING
INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER DATE TAGLINE


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