British pop-punk band As It Is has been through many trials and tribulations since their last album, from being a band of five to now being a band of three, and like many other bands in the scene, the current COVID-19 pandemic putting a halt to everything. But the boys are back and better than ever with their newest and 4th studio album appropriately titled 'I WENT TO HELL AND BACK'. As It Is are never afraid of changing up their sound and this album proves once again that bands can succeed when they give the fans something new!
No strangers to also having a specific theme or concept behind each album and after the theming of their last album titled 'The Great Depression' which was basically the band trying to bring 'emo' back with vocalist Patty Walters long black hair and dark eyeliner and black and red outfits similar to Gerard Way back in My Chemical Romance's prime, nobody knew what to expect next from them. With the release of their first single titled 'IDGAF' back in May of last year, it was apparent of the direction the band planned to go with on I WENT TO HELL AND BACK. It's almost the perfect mixture of the band's early pop-punk days with the upbeat instrumentals and the darker instrumentals that The Great Depression had.
This is the first As It Is album that has guitarist Ronnie Ish taking over for beloved former member Benjamin Langford-Biss who parted ways with the band shortly after their last tour to focus on solo work. Ronnie was touring with As It Is on that last tour as an extra guitarist so fans were ecstatic when it was announced he would be a permanent member! With Ronnie being the only guitarist now, he gets to show his talent and he definitely fits in perfectly, almost like he was destined to be a part of this band and album creation!
Overall, I WENT TO HELL AND BACK is nostalgic, energetic, and for the people who just want Warped Tour to come back! If you have never listened to As It Is but enjoy bands such as Neck Deep or Trash Boat, this is definitely a band for you! Every single album this band puts out gets better and better. Arguably, this might be the best album of their career! No matter the situation, As It Is are amazing at coming back with new and different experiences for all of their albums and I WENT TO HELL AND BACK is no exception. What makes it such a significance is how different it is when compared to the generic pop-punk feel of their debut album 'Never Happy, Ever After', the happy 50's inspired 'Okay', and of course the dark heavy topics of 'The Great Depression'. I WENT TO HELL AND BACK is it is own. It's different but not so different that it deters long-time listeners. It combines a little of everything from the band's past work and puts it into an album that is truly a masterpiece!
Rating: 4/5
★★★★☆
