✍️PRESIDENT HAVE SPOKEN: ‘IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER’ IS A SERMON IN SOUND

After months of cryptic teaser and biblical one-liners, PRESIDENT have finally blessed us with something tangible: their debut single, In The Name of The Father. And no, it’s not just a spooky voicemail from an anonymous cult leader—it’s a fully-fledged, fully-feeling piece of music. We finally have sound. Praise be.

First things first: the track is not what I expected, which is impressive given that I didn’t know what to expect. With all the ominous branding, dystopian proclamations, and soft-launch sermons, I half-expected a Gregorian chant over a black metal breakdown. Instead, In The Name of The Father is a haunting, alt-metal confessional laced with atmosphere and a vocal performance that lands somewhere between yearning prayer and an emotional purge.

One thing that caught our ears early on is the noticeable use of auto-tune in the opening section. It’s not subtle, and to be honest, we weren’t immediately sold on it. But in context, it might be a deliberate choice—possibly to obscure the vocalist’s identity rather than just a stylistic flourish. Given the shroud of secrecy surrounding this project, it's hard not to wonder if the digital haze is part of the mask. Whether it’s an aesthetic decision or a layer of misdirection, it adds yet another veil to the mystery—one that might make more sense as the band reveals more of themselves (if they ever do).

The lyrics are raw and personal, with lines like “I want to feel You near, it’s suffocating” and “We all choose to find hope / Because hope is choosing to find meaning in a meaningless world” hitting especially hard. Whether you’re religious, spiritual, or just clinging to your morning coffee for answers, there’s something deeply human in that search for connection—divine or otherwise. Musically, it’s clean but weighty, layered with enough distortion and melancholy to evoke the likes of Bring Me The Horizon (Post Human era), early 2000s alt-rock, and maybe even a touch of cinematic horror. The kind of song that builds like a sermon and ends like a reckoning. It's less look at us, we’re spooky, and more sit with us, we have something to real to share. And I'm here for it.

Of course, no President discussion is complete without a healthy dose of speculation. The vocals have serious Charlie Simpson energy—brooding and beautifully broken in places. If it is him under the mask, then well played, sir. If it isn’t, congrats to whoever it is for throwing the entire internet into a guessing game that’s somehow more intense than Wordle in 2021.

There’s also the question of intent. Scare them, scare them, scare them / Make them worship is either the most metal Sunday school chant ever written, or a not-so-subtle dig at the power structures and political turmoil that most of us turn to music to escape from. Either way, it slaps. For a band that got booked at Download Festival before uttering a single sound, President had a lot to prove. With In The Name of The Father, even if a few choices might divide opinion, they haven’t just proven they can deliver—they’ve made it clear they’re not here for gimmicks alone.

The mystery got our attention. The music might just keep it. Whether they’re a supergroup or the world’s most committed method actors, one thing is now certain: President have arrived, and they’re speaking in tongues. Masked, moody, and maybe even a little messianic—this debut hits like a sermon screamed through a distortion pedal. And honestly? I kind of want to join the congregation.