SharpTone Records brought back the heavy We Came as Romans everyone has been asking for since their last album. Thank the rock gods! The future looks bright as they balance their alt. rock and electronic with their classic metalcore.
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After the washout that was the band's self titled album, it's nice to see We Came as Romans haven't lost their touch. Opening with a groove heavy guitar and bass intro, the song shifts into something reminiscent of "Regenerate". The very heavy, fast paced verse with Dave Stephen's growling voice. A little hardcore punk never hurt anyone. We see he's doing more of his gruffer, more gnarled style of vocals. There are moments of his deeper, more traditional metal style uncleans, but this feels right for the song.
Kyle Pavone's voice is layered under light effects, echoing early work from the band. Along with bouncy electronic undertone, the chorus is a strong throwback to the band's debut "To Plant A Seed". Just without the unneccessary auto tune. There are just enough effects to keep things interesting, but not enough that the song gets squeaky and annoying.
The pace of the song is especially fast for a WCAR track, similar to songs on "Tracing Back Roots" and their self titled record. The breakdown shows off the band's modern metal influences, which contributes to the quick pace. Groove metal needs to be quick, otherwise things can get muddled or draw out. So the band hit the mark on the breakdown. It's the opposite of chuggy and monotone. The verses do get a little flat, and the vocals get a little lost right before the chorus, but otherwise no complaints.
Summary -
Touches on nu metal, but 100% We Came As Romans. That's the song in a nutshell. The song is everything that the band's self titled album wasn't. Heavy, catchy, and an even balance of the old and new. Not ground breaking or anything new, but fun for sure. Everyone needed this, the band included. Not exactly a return to form, as this song would feel right at home on "Tracing Back Roots" but it's a step in the right direction for a band whose experimental style turned off so many.
Rating - 8 to 8.5/10