If you haven’t already heard of the band We Came As Romans; they are a band on a mission. Their rise has been nothing short of spectacular, and they really are a band that has made a niche for themselves with a truly unique sound. It is that sound that is going to really question whether you like their brand new album, Cold Like War or not. The mix of electronic and moments of true brutality will be lapped up by those who really love their metalcore sound, but for some heavy music fans, it may be too much to handle.
We Came As Romans don’t mess with their sound at all. The opening track, “Vultures With Clipped Wings,” has a slow electronic start behind the full brutality hits – fronted by the amazing vocals from Dave Stephens. One of the best things about We Came As Romans are how Stephens’ unclean vocals match with Kyle Pavone’s clean vocals. This is never more obvious than it is on the album’s title track which just shows how good metalcore music can be.
“Two Hands” is more melodic than what we normally expect from the band, and again, it is the vocals of Pavone and Stephens that makes “Lost In The Moment” such a great track. The personal side of We Came As Romans come out to play on “Foreign Fire”, which contains some truly heartfelt lyrics that are only enhanced by some female vocals coming into play as well.
Like the album’s opening track, “Encoder” again sees the band’s electronic edge raise its head. This track is so heavily electronic, it wouldn’t be out of place at a rave, and then suddenly, without warning, Stephens’ vocals kick in once again to bring a little bit of aggression back to Cold Like War. That same electronic sound only enhances the dual vocals on “If There’s Nothing To See” while the guitar work of Lou Cotton and Joshua Moore goes completely crazy on “Wasted Age.”
“Promise Me” is a track that will make heavy music fans shudder, and it is largely electronic until a very late hardcore vocals while “Learning To Survive” again says the dual vocals work remarkably well.
Cold Like War is a pretty decent album. While not for all heavy music fans, it is undoubtedly an album that will be enjoyed by those that like their metalcore on a little bit of an experimental level. The album mostly finds the right mix of electronica and metal and is an enjoyable listen.
