ALBUM REVIEW: “We Came As Romans” – We Came As Romans

We Came as Romans is back with their highly anticipated self-titled album. This album drops July 24th, almost exactly 2 years after their successful 2013 release,  “Tracing Back Roots” (July 23rd, 2013). If you came here expecting to hear the old We Came as Romans sound, you won’t find it. Instead, you’ll find a really good hard rock album. Yes, it’s a different sound (It’s along the lines of “Tracing Back Roots”), but We Came As Romans pull it off and deliver another great album. Most of these songs could be played on Hard Rock Radio, which is great for gaining new fans. Again, it’s a different sound, but it’s still We Came as Romans. I was able to get a listen well before release, so here are my thoughts on each individual track:

Regenerate

A great way to open the album. Blaring guitars and screaming vocals open the album in a style similar to the new Of Mice & Men sound. The Of Mice & Men sound can be heard throughout the entire album. The breakdowns in this song are also really good. This would be a fun song live.

Who Will Pray?

The song stars out with just synth and vocals, and then gradually builds up to the powerful chorus, singing who will pray for me? The verses and bridge are soft and the choruses are huge, but it works out. This is a well written song. I could see this song on radio, in a good way.

What Happened to the World I Used to Know?

This was/is the lead single for this album, which you can pre-order on iTunes now and get this song instantly. Anyways, this is another song with soft verses and huge choruses. The lyrics in this song are incredible and accurate, making the listeners long for the old world, when we were never afraid of places unknown. 

Memories

Not gonna lie, I thought this was going to be the slow song of the album with the way it started out. It eventually built up a bit, but it’s still softer. Not much else to say on this song. After the first few listens, this is my least favorite song on the album, but that could change with time, and even though it’s my least favorite, it’s still a good song.

Tear it Down

We Came As Romans changes the mood quickly, wasting no time with another heavy song. The intro and verses remind me of “Love, Sex, Riot” by Issues in terms of the instruments and rhythms. This one also sounds like the new Of Mice & Men, and even a little bit of Rage Against the Machine and, yes, Limp Bizkit. One of the best songs on the album and a song I would love to see played on Warped Tour this summer, but I doubt it would happen due to the album being released so late in the tour, unless this song would come out as a single.

Blur

The best chorus on the album. The verses are heavy but the chorus takes a turn and sounds kind of poppy (The heavy guitars are still there). Another one of the best songs on the album.

Savior of the Week

I hope you like synths. If it was up to me, I would put this song on pop radio. Don’t get me wrong though, this song is great, especially the lyrics. The instrumentation reminds me of something Hollywood Undead would do.

Flatline

The synth continues through the verses of this song, but it transitions back into their hard rock style. A good follow-up to Savior of the Week. The lyrics are the stand-out part of this song, but it’s a good transition from Savior of the Week to Defiance.

Defiance

The heavier sound comes back with this song. If there were more cleans in this song, it would be along the lines of Breaking Benjamin. Another song that would be fun live, with great breakdowns.

12:30

This starts out kind of weird, but then it gets heavy again, in Of Mice & Men fashion, once again. Couldn’t have picked a better song to end the album. It has the soft elements of the album as well as the heavy ones, so it kind of recaps the album in terms of style. Another one of the best songs on here.

Overall Thoughts: This album is really good. Doesn’t really have a weak moment. It’s not the old We Came As Romans, but it’s really solid, especially if you like the new Of Mice & Men.

Standout Songs: “Regenerate”, “Tear it Down”, “Blur”, “Defiance”, “12:30”

Rating: 8/10