Review Summary: The year is 2006.
I Promised The World are a newer act, but they’ve clearly done their homework on that early 2000s metalcore/post-hardcore era. And when I say "done their homework", I mean they’re practically turning it in word-for-word. The band have actually had 1 prior release under the name Sinema, so this is as much a re-brand as it is a debut.
Their whole aesthetic— the riffs, the vocal deliveries, the melodies, even the music videos— absolutely nail the vibe of a time when scene hair, studded belts, and high-contrast music videos ruled the music tv on channels like Kerrang or MTV2. It’s pure, unashamed nostalgia bait.
Throwbackcore.
But here’s the rub: while the nostalgia is heavy, there’s some talent underneath the gimmick. Frontman Hunter Wilson especially has some great his harsh vocals that cut right through the mix. And that sharp, modern production they have makes the whole thing hit harder than it probably would’ve back in the early 2000s. My question coming into this EP was: is this just nostalgia bait, or is there something more?
The first thing you notice is that these guys came ready to go full-tilt into post-hardcore, emo-y melodrama and metalcore chugging, and honestly they do it well. The riffs are punchy, the breakdowns rip, and the emotional peaks feel lifted straight from that era in a way that feels affectionate rather than cynical. The opening track,
'Proud' starts strong. It’s one of the more immediate songs —tight, energetic, and establishes the mission statement. Across the record, those Misery Signals and 36 Crazyfists influences stick out hard, especially in the way they combine slightly more melodic guitar passages with sudden bursts of aggression. The heavy parts do rip, and when the band is leaning into that side of themselves, its their most exciting.
Where things get more mixed is the clean vocal territory. On songs like
'A Pure Expression' or
'Bliss in 7 Languages' the cleans are… fine. Not bad, but not memorable. What is memorable is how the emotional sections, especially the bridges, tap so deeply into that nostalgic DNA that you can practically see a grainy 480p music video in your head.
Then you’ve got
'Future Worth Dying For' that tricks you with a melodic intro before turning into the heaviest and harshest song on the record. I dig the two-step section, the double-time drums—this is where Hunter Wilson’s vocals really take over. The closer
'Emerald Waltz' shifts into this more mid-tempo, almost ballad-ish, 'emotional' vibe. It’s not the strongest track, but emotionally it lands some, and it captures that end-of-the-record, emo-adjacent fade-out energy that bands in this style used to rely on. The nostalgia is dialed in.
One of the more interesting things across all the songs is that the band uses linear song structures. Everything moves forward without circling back to big choruses, which is true to a lot of mid-2000s metalcore… but it also results in fewer hooks. I think if they adopted more a traditional verse/chorus approach, it’d result in more memorable hooks and allow the emotional and heavy high-points stand hit harder.
Still—there are breakdowns, emotional peaks, strong screams, sharp production, and enough energy to make the whole experience fun. Even when it’s derivative, it’s a good time.
I will say part of me thinks there is something cynical about the marketing - I couldn't call it a cash grab, as how much cash is there in 2000s screamo revival, but they’d have not doubt gotten the same exposure than if they didn't employ these aesthetics. But still, considering how dry the post-hardcore space has felt in recent years, I'’m more happy to have something in this style again.
I Promised The World’s self-titled EP is pure nostalgia bait— but it’s the good kind. It’s derivative, yes, but also fun, energetic, emotional, and surprisingly well-executed. The heavy parts hit hard, the aesthetics are spot-on, and the performances (especially the harsh vocals) show real promise. The question now is whether the band can take this sound and evolve it into something that’s theirs instead of just a love letter to a bygone era.
