Each time a band announces a new album, I always rush to see the title in order to get an idea what's in store and throw around some ideas. However, when I see a band late into their career name their record after themselves, the inner jaded Dorian Gray-looking me emerges, dramatically raises his eyebrow and says something like:
"Oh no, is this a folly statement of a return to form? Perhaps a sign that the pools of inspiration have finally ran their course? Or is it, gods forbid, both?"
Luckily in the case of the newest record from the progressive metalcore madlads Erra, none of this applies but then again I knew that by the third single "House Of Glass" because they were that good. Especially "Eye Of God" which is unfortunately not present and I suspect Sumerian Records are to blame. Anyhow, before I take care of the toughest part of every review - the intro, a short retrospective is in order.
Back in the summer of 2018, the Gazebo was a wee, much cringier but equally hungry fledgling and at a certain point I came across the song "Drift" by these lads and I was taken aback by their instrumental proficiency and ear for strong choruses. Granted, the clean vocals took me out of it a bit but I was groovin' but then it happened. The outro.
It starts right about the 2:43 mark which is pretty damn early for a four and a half minute long song but damn does it pay off. To this day this whole section remains among the most beautiful pieces of music I heard and I was eager to jump in their back catalogue.
I had a blast, especially due to the fact they were just about to drop Neon but as I journeyed across their sea of riffs, I noticed a conflict between fans. It's the age old "new vocalist vs. old vocalist" discourse that's particularly heated in the metalcore and deathcore spheres. Killswitch Engage, Northlane, The Contortionist and Bring Me The Horizon immediately come to mind but yeah, each comment section was a battlefield and just like with the aforementioned bands, I saw more praise aimed at earlier Erra and I kinda get it? Thing is, because I am a prog hoe, I prefer the more spacious and synth-driven Erra but something was missing in Drift and that became even more apparent with the arrival of Neon - the song compositions.
You see, nearly every song from these two records follow the classic intro - verse - chorus - verse - chorus - bridge/solo/breakdown - chorus - outro song structure and no matter how hard the song banged and trust me, they banged, I wished for more variety... and better production, especially in Neon's case which was inexplicably densely mixed and with a really small dynamic range.
Thankfully, the Alabaman quintet addressed these things and now, after another needlessly long intro, I can finally showcase the greatness that is their newest record.
And let me tell you, these gentlemen waste no time in setting up everything that you'll here in the voyage that awaits you. The raging slapper that is the opener "Snowblood" acts as the best possible highlight reel of Erra's whole discography. The nimble and catchy guitar work and the insane interplay between them, sudden transitions, massive chorus, great drumming, atmospheric passage, raging solo and a despicable breakdown, it's all here but all of this is done to such a degree that I was afraid the lads couldn't keep up the insane pace they set here. I was wrong.
Not only do we hear some of the most inspired and well-written material in their whole catalogue, it's all paced wonderfully AND the production is finally up to par with the quality that's presented here. Granted, I still think the drums overpower the other instruments, especially the bass but when shit hits the fan, their chunkiness works perfectly and let me tell you, shit do be hitting the fans quite often here, most notably THAT breakdown on "House Of Glass" which rearranges my facial expressions in ways I did not think possible and I am a really expressive listener hahaha.
However, it's not all meat and potatoes here, the meat and potatoes being dummy thicc and heffy riffs, instead we get the whole damn buffet, or a Slavic lunch on Sunday.
Home made soup, salads (which I don't eat because I'm based), vegetables, le meat, side dish(es), wheat beer if I'm feeling frisky, the whole bees knees.
Honestly, I have no idea what made me take the food metaphor route, seeing as I ate recently but if I don't confuse or make you cringe or chuckle (preferably both) at least once during my review then I am not doing a good job, anyhow back to the buffet at hand.
Hmmm, awkward transition, what now... OK got it, "Shadow Autonomous"! A great song and even better example of how Jesse Cash and Sean Price approach their guitars when not warp-jumping across their frets. It's surprisingly laid back considering the vortex of sweep picking, tapping and chugs that predated it but it's a much needed change of pace. So much so that we get to hear JT Cavey singing clean the first time in Erra's history and he sounds great!
Would love to hear more of that down the line which makes me wonder if they're preparing us for more of that down the line. If so, I commend them for being subtle about it and not doing a complete 180 like some bands did. Granted, I have no issue with that, on the contrary, but judging by the still ongoing discussions which era of Erra is better, this is a wise approach for all the "true" metalplebs out there.
Anyhow, along the larger quantity of clean singing, what caught my attention is the consistent reverb and delay-drenched noodling Price is doing in the background while Cash plays the main meatier riffs, it adds a really nice extra layer you can focus upon during your revisits. Hope you like it because this dynamic is one of the key pillars of Erra and the newer era of Erra (you cannot stop me) in general.
Speaking of dynamics, I like the fact how almost every heavier songs is followed by a more mellow one, it's such a simple and effective trick and I say trick positively because these guys were never about to change their approach, rather they adjusted in a way that not only fit them but served the whole package and it worked very well.
Lyrically-wise, as with every record they made, there a few overarching themes and while they're nothing new, the way they're tackled is. In a way it harkens back to their older days with "wordy" metaphors like in "Divisionary" and "Lunar Halo" but overall they're phrased in a way that's digestible but still requires interpretation which is a rare quality in this genre and among them, the only other band that have this approach are Silent Planet but that's a whole another can of worms.
In its core Erra is a dark, angry and at times a hopeless record but there are glimmers of hope and reassurance and they manifest through Cash as he takes center stage during those massive, anthemic choruses and cleaner sections whereas JT Cavey acts as a harbinger of rage and pure destruction. Speaking of him, during the years he received a lot of criticism for being a monodimensional vocalist but I never had an issue with that because of his amazing tone, surprising clarity and unique phrasing.
Regardless, he does expand his range here and gets plenty of time to shine, the most notable example being the despicably heavy "Scorpion Hymn" which, after a very old-school Doom-like intro goes absolutely berserk. So much so that I would dare not only compare but equalize them with Meshuggah which is no small feat as you can imagine. Easily one of their most recognizable (and heavy) songs to date and I can only imagine the havoc it will cause in a live setting.
Another stand out is "Vanish Canvas" which Cash pointed out as the favorite track he's written and I honestly can't argue with that, it's just that good and those throwbacks to "Drift" and "Dissaray" round everything up perfectly.
I've always stated my appreciation for bands that leave these easter eggs because they add that extra touch long-time fans will appreciate but also act as a checkpoint that the band can look back to in the future and know where they were mentally when they've written it. That's just a theory of course but I would like to think of it that way because after all, isn't every memory we "make" a concoction of emotions frozen in a small time period that you can look back to later and immediately know what was going on in your head?
Anyhow, I won't lie but I am really tempted to go into every track a bit because how great they are but I feel that would be redundant so I think it's time to finish up this bad boy, seeing how thicc he already is.
You can probably guess how I feel about Erra so the fact that this is my current Album Of The Year contender should not at all surprise you. However, seeing how things are shaping up, that could change but that's a given considering my tendencies hahaha. One thing is certain, for once I agree with most major music outlets because Erra is truly a triumph and honestly my favorite record they've made and it's gonna be very difficult to top it so we'll see how that pans out but until then, grab your headphones or turn on your sound system and witness the glory of a band at their absolute peak.
Erra was released through UNFD in March 19th.
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