Masked metal act President have released their debut album, Blood Of Your Empire, following months of speculation about the singer's identity and comparisons to Sleep Token after a buzzy appearance on last year's Download festival bill. The record, reviewed here by Metal Hammer, channels the anonymous musician's loss of Christian faith and distrust of institutional power into a bleak, atmospheric collection that critics say lives up to the hype generated by their early singles and EP.

Musically, the album draws heavily on Deftones (particularly on tracks like Mercy, Dionysus and Angel Wings), with further nods to Bring Me The Horizon, Architects and Chino Moreno's side-project Crosses. Standout tracks include Dark Heaven, which tackles religion and political power directly, and Hate Figure, a rap-influenced collaboration with labelmate Ando San addressing media persecution. Blood Of Your Empire is out now via Warner Bros UK/Atlantic, with President currently touring the US and UK dates scheduled for November.