ERRA is one of the most unique metalcore bands out there. Their style of progressive metalcore is at the forefront of musical innovation right now, and their self-titled album is only further proof of what they are doing. The record is full of fresh and exciting soundscapes and technical prowess that is downright amazing in every way.
Their fusion of beautiful leads and intense chunkage channelled by brilliant guitarwork, strong complementary drumming and basswork, as well as their godly duo vocal dynamic, makes for a lot of range and many, many great moments. Throughout the main tracklist, there's a lot of different tastes and styles they venture into, many of which evade strict genre boundaries. With the way they smoothly transition from moment to moment, their musical identity stands unopposed and strong.
Jesse Cash's guitarwork has always been top tier, but his tapping leads as well as his complex math-esque riffs have reached another level in this album. They feel even more refined and feel almost effortless in defining the mood and atmosphere for each song. His fluency in translating feelings and emotions into guitarwork is unmatched, both in angelic and demonic sounds. The breakdown chunkage in Snowblood, the mindblowingly intricate breakdown in Gungrave, the elegant tapping leads in Memory Fiction, and so much more. The record is so chock-full of interesting moments and musical design that it never gets stale. Whether it be intriguing polymeters, cheeky chugdowns or hypnotic leads, this treasure trove of guitarwork is unfathomable. Throughout the album, he rarely repeats riffs in other sections, and the sheer volume of riffage in this record is just astounding.
I also have to include this obligatory "how does he play all that and sing at the same time?" statement, because not only is it hard enough with any guitar playing, he's singing while playing some of the most intricate riffs to grace the earth.
The rest of the band do well to match his talent and musicianship. J.T.'s uncleans are some of the most refined vocals in the industry, and fit perfectly beside Jesse's cleans in their unique dynamic. The drums and bass know exactly how to play off of the guitars to make every song as perfect as can be, and overall their band identity is phenomenally solid.
The Deluxe version was a nice addition, giving us three new tracks that feel even more ERRA (band) than ERRA (album). Nigh To Silence is the pinnacle of their sound and I feel it cuts out Snowblood in being the most ERRA song (although not by much). The guested track of Vanish Canvas with Courtney LaPlante is one of the best guest choices possible for this record, adding such a beautiful voice to an already breathtakingly elegant song. I also love that they decided to do covers for their self-titled deluxe, not only do I love that they felt that the songs that inspired their love of music deserved to be on there, I adore that they chose to do their own take on them and inject their ERRA essence into the songs they love.
ERRA may not be the biggest band out there, but they are absolutely at the frontlines of metalcore and are truly exciting as a band. They've been around for a while and I've yet to listen to their older stuff, but I'm glad they are finally seeing so much love for their music, and I'm happy that they're making even better music as they go. This record is definitely leaving a mark on metalcore history.
Rating: 9/10
