"In the Name of the Father" is the debut single by the anonymous, masked English metal band President. It was released on 15 May 2025 and serves as the opening track for the EP King of Terrors. In a statement accompanying the release, the band called the track their "first proclamation" and described it as "the first crack in the surface" of the project.
Composition and lyrics "In The Name of the Father" was the first song written by The President sometime around Christmas 2023, before the project's masked presentation and wider concept had been fully developed.
The song combines metalcore with electronic and atmospheric elements. Metal Hammer described the track as pairing a prominent metalcore riff with "waves of swirling electronica", while Kerrang! noted its baroque-influenced opening.
Lyrically, the song explores religious doubt, fear and the search for meaning. The President said it reflected "where I was and what I was going through" while questioning his faith, and later explained that the song's references to fear and worship concern the way religion can be introduced through the threat of punishment.
Live performance The band performed "In the Name of the Father" during their live debut at Download Festival on 15 June 2025. Following the set, President’s frontman spoke about the experience, stating:
The song was also included in the band's performance at Rockfield Studios.
Track listing
Critical reception Metal Hammers Dannii Leivers described "In the Name of the Father" as "a thrilling slab of metalcore", praising its "lofty chorus" and heavy breakdown, while noting the prominent use of Auto-Tune on President's vocals. Kerrang! highlighted the song's baroque opening synthesizers and its role in establishing the EP's recurring spiritual themes, describing the band's music more broadly as a blend of metal, post-hardcore, R&B and electronic influences.
Personnel Credits adapted from Tidal.
The President – production, composition Zakk Cervini – mixing Ted Jensen – mastering
Release history Region Date Format Label Various 15 May 2025 Kings of Terrors / ADA 25 July 2025 Vinyl
Charts + Chart performance for "In The Name of The Father" Chart (2025) Peakposition UK Singles Downloads (OCC) 50 UK Singles Sales (OCC) 52 UK Indie (OCC) 41 UK Rock & Metal (OCC) 19 US Hot Hard Rock Songs (Billboard) 14
References