Pop Punk trio As It Is has dropped their fourth full-length album via Fearless Records titled I Went To Hell and Back. With their previous release, The Great Depression, the group took a complete 180 with their sound and style going from the upbeat, fun pop-punk tracks of Never Happy Ever After and okay., to a much deeper and darker tone. With I Went to Hell and Back, the group finally found that happy medium between the fun and upbeat to the dark and heavy, and it is so perfectly blended together.
Opening up the album, we have “IDGAF.” This is such a great opener track. The catchy melodies paired with the heavier lyrics create a perfect blend of styles. The video for this track blends both styles and feelings together with the bright white background at the beginning, then going into this scene of a shadowy person that is very dark and ominous. I saw a comment from the video for the track that jokingly stated, “I need to know who hurt you, Patty, who?” and honestly, I had the same thought. The lyrics are so raw and honest; I think many people can relate to them, especially throughout what the world has been going through these past few years; many of us have felt the same way at one point or another. Next, we get to “I Lie To Me.” This song is a lot more mellow and chill than the previous track but still features that heavier, darker tone in the instrumentation as the last track. The lyrics follow the same theme of mental health as the previous track, but while “IDGAF” was more upbeat and written, sort of sarcastic and tongue in cheek, “I Lie to Me” gets a lot more profound and real. This is such a perfectly written track lyrically, lyrics like “I’ve been lying to my demons [to get me through the seasons], but I don’t see ’em leaving [they’re sitting on the ceiling], maybe seeing is deceiving, but with me is this feeling, that all I’ll ever be is just better at believing” flows so well together with the rhymed bits.
“ILY, HOW ARE YOU…” is where the album takes a slight turn, not a bad turn, but different from the previous two tracks. Lyrically it follows the same general theme of the album, but the instrumentals were significantly more upbeat and cheerful. With the happy and positive instrumentals while singing lyrics like “you’re flushed in the face, your eyes want to tell a story, so come on then, get it off your chest don’t be so boring” and “you smile, but your eyes they scream ‘ignore me,’ white lies, blue skies, but the rain is pouring down” its polar opposites that still somehow blend so well. “IDC, I CAN’T TAKE IT” follows next, and I am so in love with this particular track. It is similar to the last two tracks in the sense that the lyrics and instrumentation don’t match up, with the lyrics being more serious and the instrumentation being so bubbly and upbeat. Still, It’s so catchy, and it is so fun to move around too. The track’s instrumentation is one of my favorite parts of this particular track. Having each instrument slowly come in one by one instead of hitting hard all at once really allows them to show off how talented they are individually and gives each member a chance to shine before coming into one great beat. The music video for this track was a fun one as well; it was just very light and looked like a fun time; the recognizable faces of Lil Aaron, Maxx (and his super adorable dog Crash Bandicute Danzinger), and Zach from Set It Off were a nice little added touch.
The same vibe from “IDC, I CAN’T TAKE IT” continues with “I’D RATHER DIE,” with the electronic rock feel to it. I have mixed feelings surrounding this track; the beat is just kind of not my thing; the beat makes it feel like it should be more fun and upbeat, but the singing is much slower and laid back; it just feels odd to me, not necessarily bad but odd. Up next, we hit “I MISS 2003,” which was the first single to drop, and even after what seems like a million listens at this point, it is still my favorite track off this whole album. It is just so fun and honestly goes off live. It is incredibly nostalgic; it’s all about getting older and missing our teenage years when times were simple. Even if you are like me and can’t necessarily relate to missing the year 2003 specifically because you were a whole child, most people can still relate to the idea of missing their teen years, whatever time period that was.
We now reach the album’s halfway point with “I’M SICK AND TIRED.” This track really fits the vibe of the whole record and strays away from the upbeat vibes of the previous song and back to the darker, more angsty sound of some earlier songs on the album. “I WANT TO SEE GOD ” continues the same vibe of “I’M SICK AND TIRED” but even heavier and goes even harder. Lyrically though, it has a different vibe than the previous seven tracks. Opening with the lyrics “I don’t see the light,” It is pretty apparent and becomes even more evident throughout the track that it has to do with religion and possibly losing faith in religion or not having it to start with. “In Threes’ ‘ is another single off the album that is a great sounding track overall and is so fun live. It is dark like the previous tracks, but differently; instead of the heavy-hitting guitars and metal sound, it’s a hard-hitting beat instrumentally; the drums and bass are really put to the forefront on this track. The features from both Cody Carson of Set It Off and rapper JordyPurp really add a whole new level that makes the track so perfect; it’s not often you have more than one feature on a song and especially not from wildly different genres, but As It Is genuinely made it work and it came out so perfectly.
Nearing the end of the album, we reach “I HATE ME TOO.” This track is not nearly as heavy as some of the previous tracks; it is more upbeat and pop-punk. I love this track, yet it hits me so hard at the same time; this one punched me in the gut the first time I heard it. “Why am I agreeing with the internet lately? It’s probably ’cause I’m just like them, I fucking hate me. I really hope you’re satisfied; I never knew that I could be so sad inside. So you can keep your alibis, you only left me lonely like a satellite.” It’s all about the internet and online criticisms that so many bands have to deal with every day, and it’s something many regular people can understand and relate to as well. The internet can be a cruel place, and that can be really hard to deal with and easy to internalize those kinds of comments. “I’M GONE” is next, and this one is swift and upbeat, both instrumentally and lyrically; it reminds me so much of their older sound we heard on Never Happy Ever After and Okay, but slightly darker lyrically than those albums. The soaring chorus and familiar beats will send you straight back to their early releases.
“I DIE 1000X” is an interesting track instrumentally; it blends a few different types of sounds with an electronic feel at the beginning with just a slow drum beat. Still, it then comes with a heavy, slightly faster bass drumbeat. This track is all about being stuck inside our heads and having that constant torment of thoughts and feelings, and it’s deep and dark, yet it’s needed. So many people face those feelings every day, and it’s nice to see you aren’t alone; even your fave deals with the same thoughts sometimes. “I CAN’T FEEL A THING” is consistent; it follows the same theme as the previous tracks and truly showcases As It Is’ songwriting and musical abilities showcasing a more modern metalcore vibe. The addition of a feature from Telle Smith of The World Alive added an extra layer that made it fit so well together. We reach the album’s end and the title track with “I WENT TO HELL AND BACK.” With slow punching beats and powerful lyrics, this track fully encompasses the whole theme of the album in a soul-crushing yet beautiful way.
Overall they really shined on this album. Through the past few years of craziness in the world and lineup changes within the group, they could find the right combination of people. They could put into words what so many have been feeling in a way that made sense. They outdid themselves and have finally found a perfect blend of sounds that fit together so well. I am so excited to see where the group goes from here. I Went to Hell and Back is out now wherever you get your music, and make sure to go check out As It Is on the last few remaining dates of the Elsewhere Tour with Set it Off, Stand Atlantic, and No Love For The Middle Child.
You can stream the album below:
