Some years back I was lucky enough to see We Came As Romans play here in NZ, and they epitomised everything I had hoped for when I first came across 2009’s ‘To Plant A Seed’. Listening to the new album, released some eight years later it is interesting to see how much the band have grown from their post hardcore roots. They are found of using keyboards, and creating something incredibly melodic, but it is when they crank it up and again create the moshpit that they really hit the traps. Opener “Vultures With Clipped Wings” is pretty much what anyone could possibly wish from the band, with hard-hitting lyrics and guitars mixing with more sedate elements. It is these quieter moments that the band seems to be using more of these days, but it means that when the guitars kick back in they seem even more dynamic and louder than they were before.
There is the feeling that this is a band that has matured, while also refusing to stand still and in many ways, this still looks back to the early albums, but here the essence of the band has been distilled and created something that is even more powerful and over the top. Apparently, the band have been through some issues in recent years, but they are very much back, and definitely on top of their game. This is hardcore and melody taken to a whole new level, and is all the better for it.
