Band: We Came As Romans
Release: Tracing Back Roots (Album)
Release Date: 22/07/2013
“The difficult second album” is a phrase tossed around a lot these days. But what about the third? Isn’t that just as hard? Bands have the choice of sticking to what they know, basing it on what has given them the opportunity to release three albums, or they could take a risk and redefine themselves. Overall, Troy metallers We Came As Romans have chosen the latter tactic on third album ‘Tracing Back Roots‘.
That’s not the impression the opening title track gives. It’s deceptively heavy and harsh vocalist David Stephens single-handedly roars his way through the majority of the track before singer Kyle Pavone has his brief chance to shine at the close. But then from ‘Fade Away’ onwards, the album is far more melodically driven.
Featuring ex-Underoath drummer/clean vocalist Aaron Gillespie, ‘I Survive’ is We Came As Romans at their most experimental – the track is not musically technical, it’s just so far removed from their usual style that it takes a little getting used to. This risk perhaps did not pay off. ‘Never Let Me Go’, on the other hand, is a phenomenal achievement. Stephens’ new found singing talent really adds to the band’s possibilities, the shared chorus is a partnership at its strongest and the passage of screaming relates the track back to their heavier roots.
‘Tracing Back Roots‘ is a reinvention that takes one step back and two steps forward. A few tracks are a little too simplistic when melodically focused, while the title track sticks out like a sore thumb. The album title isn’t immediately fitting either – they seem to be doing the opposite instrumentally – but it begins to make sense after realising that when they do draw on their past styles and merge it with their new direction, it produces their best material to date. Thankfully, that is the case on the majority of the record.
8/10
Reviewer: Matt Borucki
