Progressieve metalcore band ERRA wist fans eerder al enthousiast te maken voor het nieuwe album met nummers als House of Glass, Snowblood en Scorpion Hymn. Erra is inmiddels het vijfde studioalbum van de band en is de opvolger van het in 2018 uitgebrachte Neon. De singles waren sterk en beloofden veel goeds, maar maakt ERRA deze belofte ook waar?
De verwachtingen worden zeker waar gemaakt, want met Erra levert de band haar meest solide album tot nu toe. Met dit twaalf nummers durende album wordt je als luisteraar getrakteerd op een band in topvorm en op het hele ERRA spectrum; van heavy naar melodisch en van brute riffs naar complex, technisch sterk gitaarwerk. ERRA verrast, houdt je vast en laat groei horen. Conceptueel wordt je met dit album als luisteraar mee op reis genomen naar Aokigahara, het beruchte ‘suicide forest’ van Japan, en confronteert de band thema’s als depressie, angst en wanhoop.
Het album heeft vooral een hele fijne flow, vanaf het allereerste Snowblood, waarmee het album knetterhard wordt ingezet, tot aan het laatste Memory Fiction. Daartussenin hoor je nummers met een meer groovy vibe zoals Gungrave, meer melodische tracks zoals Divisionary, Electric Twilight en Shadow Autonomous, de meer progressieve tracks zoals House of Glass, Lunar Halo en Eidolon, en absolute allesvernietigende bangers zoals Scorpion Hymn en Remnant.
Dit is een album waarmee ERRA zichzelf naar een volgend niveau tilt, indruk maakt en zich weet te onderscheiden. Ken je de band nog niet maar hou je wel van progressieve metalcore met een portie technisch sterk gitaarwerk? Do yourself a favor en check dit album!
Releasedatum: 19 maart 2021
Luister
Lees
Determination and steadfast dedication have defined ERRA’s path, forging a unique connection with an ever-growing audience, without the advantages of traditional recognition. Monumental riffs and enchanting melodies litter the cerebral, immersive soundscapes powering each of the progressive metal merchant’s albums, culminating in a career-defining fifth, boldly titled ERRA. The highly anticipated album sees its release on March 19 via UNFD. On "ERRA", the prolific metalcore progressives confront depression, anxiety and desperation throughout. The band take listeners on a near-out-of-body journey to Aokigahara, the infamous Suicide Forest of Japan; into episodic storytelling that would make Black Mirror writers proud; and into the literary works of Cormac McCarthy and Hubert Selby Jr. "ERRA" was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Grammy-nominated duo Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland. It’s a definitive mission statement for Cash, vocalist J.T. Cavey, drummer Alex Ballew, bassist Conor Hesse, and guitarist Sean Price, each of them already well-respected players revered for their inspiring technicality and raw, natural talent. The decision to self-title the album suits the themes of self-reflection and confrontation woven throughout the record’s mesmerizing 12 songs. “It’s clearly an evolution of the same band, it sounds like a record we wrote, but it’s such a big step forward from the last one that it seemed like the perfect time to self-title a record” Cash explains. “We wanted to give people who have been following ERRA the sense that we’re starting a new chapter, with something fresh”. Cavey agrees. “We’ve always tried to have a balance of classic song structures, intertwined with experimental adventures” he says. “This album especially is music written for musicians that also appeals to the masses. There are a lot more breakdowns on this record, but also bigger melodies. The most important thing was to write music we enjoy”. Rising from Alabama, ERRA’s dedicated fanbase and online community organized around the band’s dense music and heady but relatable lyrics have helped further their mission, resulting in multiple No. 1 Heatseekers placements on Billboard. Previous ERRA albums "Impulse" (2012), "Augment" (2013), "Drift" (2016), and "Neon" (2018) saw the band spotlighted on tastemaker playlists, as the band’s Spotify plays soared past 72 million. And with vigorous worldwide tours under their belt, ERRA have rightfully earned a sprawling audience devoted to the Alabamians’ catalog, eager for each new missive. As their music finds the balance between the crushingly heavy and the headily melodic, its members seek to find harmony between the needs of the individual and the natural flow of this shared reality. ERRA, as a band of brothers and creative force, strive to live in alignment with the present moment. "ERRA", the album, represents redemption for the band, who emerged from the creative process with renewed focus, confidence, and certainty of self.
