Last night, Michigan metalcore band I Prevail took Prague’s SaSaZu club by storm, bringing excited fans a mix of new and old singles and a preview of what’s to come on their new album, Violent Nature, set to release on September 19. They were joined by Prague’s own nu-metalcore band Abbie Falls to start off the night.
Abbie Falls started us off right on time at 8pm, warming the crowd up for a night of hardcore. Lead vocalist Tomáš Klár certainly set the mood, whipping his long curly hair around as he delivered his performance. The band addressed the crowd in a mix of Czech and English between songs, thanking everyone for being there early to watch their set. Their energy was infectious as each of the band members sauntered across the stage as if they owned it.
After a short break, it was I Prevail’s turn to hit the stage. The crowd went wild as they walked on stage one by one, with vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe coming last. They hit the ground running with “Bow Down,” a hit from their 2019 album TRAUMA, followed quickly by several popular songs from the 2022 album True Power, including “Body Bag.”
With the crowd sufficiently warmed up with some well-loved bangers, they launched into “Violent Nature,” one of their newest singles, before throwing it all the way back to 2014. I Prevail’s early success came on the heels of their hardcore cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” which is now certified platinum in the US. Vanlerberghe introduced the song, saying “it’s a treat for you, but this new breakdown we wrote? That’s for us,” as they launched into a heavier version of the cover.
Throughout the set, Vanlerberghe and guitarist Dylan Bowman did some heavy lifting for lead vocals in the absence of former lead vocalist Brian Burkheiser. We have to admit that we were skeptical of the setlist and how it would go without a lead clean vocalist, but the band chose a perfect setlist to highlight the vocal talents of Bowman and Vanlerberghe without neglecting some of their most popular songs from recent years.
The middle of the set was filled with newer, heavier material, and Vanlerberghe wasted no time getting the crowd in on it. Declaring, “I love playing for you guys. But you know what I love more than that? A circle pit,” he directed the crowd to open it up even bigger, and called out one person to be the leader.
The medley of “My Own Summer (Shove It),” “Them Bones,” and “Chop Suey!” was a highlight of the night, showcasing Vanlerberghe’s harsh vocal talent to the max, before the crowd went wild for “Visceral.”
Before launching into “Hurricane,” Vanlerberghe took a moment to slow things down a bit in tribute to the late Dave Shapiro, a music executive who died in a plane crash earlier this year. Vanlerberghe stated that he had a huge impact on I Prevail and helped them find their vision as a band, and it’s crazy to be continuing on without him. He asked fans to light up the room with their phones and scream as loud as they could so Shapiro could hear them in the heavens, and boy did the crowd oblige. After this emotional moment, the band exited the stage only to come back a few minutes later for their encore, “Gasoline.”
I Prevail put on an energetic, interactive, and unforgettable show at Prague’s SaSaZu. With Vanlerberghe now leading the charge with his harsh vocals, the band is stepping into an even heavier, more powerful era, and we definitely felt that energy last night. We’re looking forward to hearing even more with Violent Nature, out next month.
I Prevail has three more shows left in Europe before heading back stateside for some festival appearances in September, including Louder Than Life and When We Were Young. Tickets are available here.
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Follow Abbie Falls: Instagram // Website // TikTok // Facebook // YouTube // Spotify
