IV OF SPADES (FULL FORCE) IS BACK!

When I first saw the video, I wasn’t sure if it was a new song or just something old that I had somehow missed. You see, before the pandemic, I was a fan of IV of Spades. This was probably the first time in a long while that I actually knew all four members by name since The Eraserheads and the best version of Rivermaya. I used to spam the Wish Bus version of Mundo. I love that version because, unlike the studio cut, Blaster really went godmode on the instrumental.

Unfortunately, I only discovered the band after Unique had already left. Aside from Mundo, my other favorite track is Take That Man, and I’d watch a bunch of YouTube reactions to its Wish Bus performance. I love the original, but the Wish Bus version is on another level. Badjao really turned it up on the drums.

Seriously, what kind of drum set was that?

Now that I think about it, I actually got into the Wish Bus because of these guys.

Anyway, at first I thought it was just a place for biriteros, biriteras, and the occasional viral performance like Marcelito Pomoy.

But IV of Spades changed that for me.

I became a fan of the trio, although I have to admit, Zild couldn’t quite pull off Mundo. It’s not that he’s a bad singer. I used to spam Kyusi when it came out, especially the stripped-down acoustic version with the "kahoy" vibes. But Unique just had the voice that made Mundo what it was.

That said, while I enjoyed IV of Spades as a trio, I never really got into Unique’s solo work. I thought Midnight Sky felt a bit empty, like it needed more instrumentation. Honestly, I preferred Agsunta’s cover over the original. So in a way, both sides felt like they were missing something.

Maybe that’s why the band eventually disbanded.

Or went on hiatus.

Whatever.

Fast forward to 2025, and out of nowhere, the full version of IV of Spades dropped a new track—with Unique and Zild both sharing vocals. It came so unexpectedly that Google’s AI still says Unique has no plans of reuniting with the band. Five years have passed and the members clearly have different styles now. I don’t know if they’ll go back to their ‘70s-inspired sound, but I’m totally fine with Aura. It even feels like Rico Blanco had a hand in it, given how he was a major influence and collaborator.

And really, if Rico Blanco could reunite with Bamboo to form the best version of Rivermaya a few years back (with Nathan Azarcon and Mark Escueta), then why not IV of Spades? This band pleasantly wrecked my ears in the best way possible. Not to fanboy too hard, but seeing Zild give Unique a piggyback ride in that video hit different.

At their peak, they rivaled the popularity of the Eraserheads. Just like the Heads, they had one breakout song that took over the country (Pare Ko.) They were geeks in retro clothes who somehow made it all work because they had, well... aura.

And maybe my favorite thing about them is that before my 11-year-old son’s brain got corrupted by Roblox, “Tung Tung Tung Sahur,” and Skibidi Toilet nonsense, he was rocking out to Mundo and Hey Barbara. He was scared of Take That Man, though, because I used to strum on his tummy like it was a guitar. I still have the scars from when he tried to fight back.

Those were special moments for me, and I always go back to them whenever I look through his baby pictures. So yeah, their return is awesome.

Whether this becomes a regular thing or just a one-off, I hope they keep making music that we can all enjoy.