REVIEW: We Came As Romans – ‘Tracing Back Roots’

July 30th, 2013

Kriston McConnell

ARTIST: We Came As Romans
ALBUM: Tracing Back Roots
GENRE: Metalcore
LABEL: Equal Vision Records

I’ve never been a huge fan of We Came As Romans. I have their albums in my library, and I’ve given them a few spins here and there whenever I feel like changing up what I’m listening to. Tracing Back Roots is the band’s third studio album, which seems to be a feat all in itself considering there is only one remaining founding member in the group. That’s not always representative of the band’s success though, as the band has a fairly decent sized fan base in comparison to similar bands.

I don’t think it will be to the surprise of many to know that the band has decided to continue with similar lyrical content as they had with their first two studio albums. Their lyrics are chock full of positive messages, telling the listeners that things will be all right and they (the listener) can get through anything. Considering there’s so much hate and negative messages out there, it’s refreshing to have a band who wants to tell their fans to keep moving forward. If you prefer to listen to something more like Attila on the other hand, you will be sorely disappointed.

The first few tracks on the album are the best, but the rest feel more like filler. The title track is one of the heaviest, and it showcases the best of what this band has to offer. If every track was set up like this, it would be a much better album. So many of the tracks after this one just feel like filler tracks. “Fade Away” is the next track on the album, and while it has some cheesy lyrics, it’s also catchy. It’s one of my favorites, though not quite as good as “I Survive,” featuring Aaron Gillespie of The Almost. This song is easily my personal favorite. “I Survive” has the best written lyrics, which are expertly executed between all three vocalists (Kyle, Aaron and David). The track takes a bit of a slower tempo, and doesn’t have the typical chugging guitars that the listener is used to.

There’s a significant improvement in vocals, for both the clean and the unclean vocalist. One of the first things you will notice is their clean vocalist, Kyle Pavone, sings in a lower range, which is probably his more natural range. If you have ever heard this band live you will know that he really can’t hit some of those high notes. This is something a lot of fans have noticed and criticized over the years. I think these songs will make them sound so much better live. The next thing you will notice is that the unclean vocalist, David Stephens, ventures in the area of clean vocals a little bit. This move works perfectly for the band, and his voice is a great contrast to Kyle’s higher voice.

The band hasn’t experimented with their sound, or pushed the boundaries over the years. They’ve stayed in familiar territory, where they know it’s safe to be. Don’t get me wrong though, this album is a vast improvement over their previous release, Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be, but it’s not enough at this point in their musical career. They’ve obviously worked on their vocals, but what about the rest of the band? It’s easy to forget that this band has four other members, when so much focus has been put on the vocals. There are a few shining moments of musical creativity, but they fade quickly and don’t leave enough of an impression.

If you are already a fan of We Came As Romans, then you will likely not be disappointed by the album. If you’re a moderate fan like me then I would still recommend checking it out on Spotify first, you might end up enjoying it. However, if you’re new to the band and are looking for something fresh and different, then this wouldn’t be the album.

SCORE: 7/10
Review written by Kriston McConnell