AS IT IS - I WENT TO HELL AND BACK
The making of the band’s fourth studio album did not come easy for the guys in As It Is; from having to navigate band members stepping away and figuring out who exactly they are as a band all throughout the height of Covid, to dealing with their own personal mental health struggles.
I WENT TO HELL AND BACK is a new sound that As It Is hasn't explored yet. It leans heavy into sounds that resemble the likes of punk, rock, emo, and little hints of dance and pop thrown into the mix on the songs ‘I’d Die 1000x’ and ‘I’d Rather Die’.
Starting the album is lead single, ‘IDGAF’. This song is one that hits hard with the lyrical content with the likes of “I don’t really wanna die, but really don’t give a fuck.” In true As It Is fashion, they start the album off with what you’ll soon realise is a common theme throughout; the reminder that dark mental health moments happen and you are not alone when experiencing these.
‘I WANT TO SEE GOD’ instantly stands out from the track listing. It is the song on the album that for sure leans into the band’s heavier tones. When As It Is tours this album, this is going to be one of the songs that people are going to be moshing through their tears too. With lyrics “ I don’t see the light, I don’t feel alive” being super relatable, it only cements that emotional connection As It Is experiences with their fans.
Offering something reminiscent of their previous work is ‘I’M SICK AND TIRED’, a song that could easily fit within the tracklisting of Okay. or The Great Depression. Lyrics that will not leave the listeners mind after listening to this album come from this song “feeling very alone and tired of yelling for help and no one hearing or listening.”
The next stand alone song from the record is ‘I MISS 2003’, an instant hit with the older fans. The references to key songs and bands throughout the scene proves it to be a great song to listen to when you’re having a hard time accepting the way society is now, giving you a flashback to when it all seemed to make sense.
The titular track ‘I WENT TO HELL AND BACK’ closes the album, the key line that will hit hard in the gut for every listener being “I went to hell and back because heaven was too far away.” Everyone has had their own personal experiences and rollercoaster moments with their mental health and that lyric is such a good representation for that. Sometimes when it gets dark in your head or when you are going through a hard spot, it's easier to lean into that than doing something that could break that dooming cycle, all because you couldn't see the light anymore.
I WENT TO HELL AND BACK is a huge step out of the comfort zone that As It Is has made for themselves.
Kassidy Quillin
★★★★☆