As It Is - I Went to Hell and Back

Label: Fearless Records

Released: 4th February 2022

Rating: ★★★★

It’s easy to see why As It Is might have had more than one reason to question what comes next over the two years it took to create their latest album ‘I Went To Hell And Back’. From a global pandemic to internal upheaval, their first album as a newly minted three-piece is one of defiance in the face of all odds.

In an unstable world, it’s a record that’s raw, honest, but also determined and stronger than ever. A collection of songs that understand we’re living in difficult, confusing times, they take in loss, grief, isolation and depression and spit them back out. Turning the negative into something positive, underneath the hard stuff there’s still the hint of optimism too.

Happy music never helped anyone in an unhappy place - but the catharsis of ‘I Went To Hell And Back’ feels important, both for the band and everyone else. The future might be uncertain, but As It Is have provided a spark.