REVIEW: ERRA – ‘Augment’ | Under the Gun Review

REVIEW: ERRA – ‘Augment’

November 12th, 2013

Kriston McConnell

Artist: ERRA
Album: Augment
Genre: Metalcore
Label: Tragic Hero Records

I have a soft spot for certain kinds of bands. If you’ve been on this site for any length of time you’ve probably figured out that I personally am into hardcore, metalcore, post hardcore and the like. There’s one band that I don’t think gets quite enough recognition as they deserve, and that band is ERRA. They are a five piece progressive metalcore outfit hailing from Birmingham, Alabama. Augment is the band’s third studio album, following Impulse, which was released back in 2011.

The album opens up with “Alpha Seed.” The song is familiar to anyone who’s listened to their previous releases, but you will notice right away the unclean vocals are cleaned up and sound more developed. The next change you will notice are the clean vocals. They are less “clean” sounding, and have a bigger presence than they have in previous releases.

It’s hard to say which tracks are my favorite. I truly enjoy all of them, which doesn’t necessarily happen very often. One track that does stand out is the one they most recently released a music video for, “Hybrid Earth.” This is a great song to pick to release as a single, as it represents the best elements this group has to offer. The unclean vocalist has a solid range of screams, and the intricate guitar playing dominate the rest of the instruments.

The band has put a lot of time and effort into their music in the past, and their latest endeavor is no different. Just as Impulse was a step up from Andromeda, Augment is definitely a step up from Impulse. The album is packed with twelve unique tracks, which creates an engaging experience for the listener for the full 52 minutes. These guys have managed to create a unique sound in a genre overflowing with mediocrity.

These guys have always had success crafting melodic metalcore albums, and Augment is no different. They rely heavily on the unclean vocals and the talents of the lead guitar to make each song different from one another. If you want a truly dynamic band who actually stands a part from other metalcore groups, then you need to check out this album.

SCORE: 9/10
Review written by Kriston McConnell