FATHER THEA didn’t bow in reverence for her debut; she ripped through the silence with I STILL PRAY, a siren-esque tour de force that haunts as much as it heals for anyone struggling with a lack of faith, or a lack of ethereal metal earworms on their playlists. Dropping with a seductively atmospheric, artfully dark official video on February 28th, the track is a testament to her ability to crawl under the skin and stay there. Thematically anchored in the torment of unanswered pleas and the defiance it breeds, it’s a metal prayer soaked in catharsis and the sonic equivalent of staring into the abyss and it screaming back.
Born in Greece to Albanian roots, FATHER THEA has remained entirely independent while unleashing a sound that commands attention far beyond fledgling status. Her vocals reverberate around the same spectral arena as Evanescence, Nightwish, and Within Temptation, but instead of chasing shadows, she conjures them. The vocal register soars and sears, elevated by instrumentals that bare the teeth of chaos.
Midway through the track, the middle-eight detonates any illusion of restraint. FATHER THEA doesn’t just hold her own against the cataclysmic breakdown—she becomes it. Her screams carry the same raw conviction as Poppy and King Woman, swerving into noise-drenched territory without sacrificing melodic magnetism. It’s impossible not to be desperate for the sophomore after being taken along for the visceral ride with I STILL PRAY.
I STILL PRAY is now available to stream on all major platforms. For the full experience, watch the official music video.
Review by Amelia Vandergast.