Troy Michigan post hardcore geniuses We Came as Romans are in an enviable spot. On the strength of their incredible self released 2008 Dreams EP, WCR signed with Albany’s Equal Vision Records and have now released an immediate album of the year candidate with To Plant A Seed. An at once harsh and poetic offering that takes the bands electronically tinged post hardcore to the next level, which is referenced by the album debuting in the number 2 spot on Billboards New Alternative chart, number 6 on the Heatseekers chart and number 175 on the granddaddy of all charts the Billboard Top 200. Which is saying a hell of a lot for a post hardcore band. The charts and critics have come to realize something that WCR’s fans have known since the bands inception back in 2008. We Came As Romans are amazing, and with to Plant A Seed they have taken their musicianship to a whole new level, and have created a lyrical marvel.
With Dreams producer Joey Sturgis helmming the board, We Came As Romans, Vocalist Dave Stephens and Kyle Pavone, who also operates the synth, guitarists Joshua Moore and Lou Cotton, bassman Andy Glass and Drummer Eric Choi, rock their way through ten tracks that blend harsh, guttural screams, contrasted with Pavones soaring vocals, and audio assault.
Unlike a horrific train wreck of an album I recently reviewed by HORSE the Band, or the recently defunct Scary Kids Scaring Kids, WCR use the synth sparingly and unless you look for it you will barely notice it at all, as it plays hide and seek inside of each track, adding too and complimenting without fully engulfing or trying to take over any one track. The title track puts the Epic nature of seed into perspective as Pavone sings the line “My future started with the first note that I ever played; the first note that was ever sang.” Giving the album the feeling that it’s been in the making for the entire history music.
The sweet, sweet drippings of awesomeness only grow from that moment, as WCR combine the outright hardcore of Misery Signals with a softer side, that will throw off some supposed Metalcore experts, but that’s because in reality what the band has done is perfect Post-Hardcore. Genre smashing is the new black after all. Tracks like Broken Statues, Intentions, Roads That Don’t End and Views That Don’t Change, Dreams (yes the killer title track from their last EP), We Are The Reasons, Beliefs, I Will Not Reap Destruction, Seeking Searching Reaching Always and an Ever-Growing Wonder, just stack layer upon layer of delicious audio cake. And yes, I am aware that I just listed every single track on the album, cause each and everyone is a stand out.
Honesty time, I’ve written and re-written the rest of this review almost twenty times, cause all the clever allusions and comparisons I come up with just aren’t doing To Plant a Seed Justice. The only thing that will actually get across how incredible this album is, is to listen to it. Any song on this album is easily the best song on any hardcore album.
WCR just tore down a genre and built it up again in their own image, taking the scream/sing/scream formula and showing you what it was supposed to sound like the whole time that all those other assholes were playing around with it. This is genius at work, so, seriously, what the fuck are you still reading this for, go get the album……..seriously……stop reading……….douche.
xD