REVIEW: I Promised The World - I Promised The World

As 2026 kicks off, I PROMISED THE WORLD make their first big statement of the year with their self-titled EP. Arriving on January 16th via Rise Records, it is both a nod to the past and a declaration for the future. Formed in 2023, the Texas five-piece started as an outlet for vocalist and guitarist CALEB MOLINA after the death of his father during the pandemic. While that loss shaped the band’s earliest material, it’s now the spirit of resilience, carving meaning out of heartbreak, that drives their sound. Alongside HUNTER WILSON (unclean and clean vocals), MASON ZSCHAU (drums), MASON NOWLIN (guitar), and AIDAN VICKERS (bass), the band have already toured with DEAFHEAVEN, HARM’S WAY, and KOYO, and are currently on their first headlining US tour, setting the stage for a record that that moves between early-2000s nostalgia and their own evolving sound.

The EP opens with the track Proud. It starts slow, with an emotional, nostalgic guitar line that feels like it’s pulling you somewhere far away: a memory, a feeling, a version of yourself you haven’t visited in years. And then, it hits you: an electrifying riff pulls you in, and suddenly we’re back with that familiar sound we used to blast through wired earphones plugged into iPods - volume dangerously high. WILSON’s alternating harsh and clean vocals dance with MOLINA’s melodic lines, softening the edges just enough to let the story breathe, while the screams carry the band’s emotional core.

Next come the two previously released singles that set the tone for the self-titled record. A Pure Expression, the second single, opens with weighty riffs that wrap emo, screamo, and post-hardcore into something that feels both familiar and unknown. Guitars, pulsing bass, and expressive drums that drive the song forward, give the track its structure and emotional weight. The bridge slows down, letting the vocals and instruments breathe before driving back into intensity. Produced by JON MARKSON and ADAM CICHOCKI, it’s a collision of nostalgia and modern production that keeps the sound fresh and alive. 

Following this, Bliss in 7 Languages, the first single, is heavy, aggressive, and emotive, anchored by metalcore riffs and driving drums. The energetic breakdown towards the end releases everything that the track has been building up to this moment. Its music video deserves a special mention: a throwback so authentic it could have been pulled straight from a Y2K MySpace vault. In contrast, Future Worth Dying For shifts into a slower, fuzzier feeling. The track evokes the soundtrack of a movie you’d put on a rainy winter afternoon. The EP then closes with Emerald Waltz, which builds gradually, layering clean vocals before erupting into a layered, climactic crescendo. It’s cathartic, expansive, and a fitting ending to this journey, capturing the technical precision and emotional intensity that runs throughout the record.

From start to finish, the self-titled EP from I PROMISED THE WORLD brings a fresh perspective to early-2000s nostalgia. It nods to the sounds that shaped a generation without lingering in the past. The impeccable guitars, bass and drums establish the EP’s stylistic direction, bringing those familiar sounds into the present across the track list. Each track occupies its own space while contributing to a unified universe. The record flows flawlessly, intensity and emotion balanced perfectly, and with its January release, it marks I PROMISED THE WORLD as a band to keep on your radar this year.

Score: 9/10

I Promised The World will be released on 16th January via Rise Records.

Words: Lorena H

Photos: Ryan Johnson