We Came As RomansCold Like War

It’s impossible to properly put into words what makes a good Metalcore record. A genre that, for the better part, is based around the key ingredients of screams, tenor vocals, breakdowns, thrash beats and sprinkles of electronic SFX, is easily tired of from a listening perspective, yet somehow seems to keep giving us timeless gems to appreciate.

MORE: Listen to Hard Noise episode #32 with The Black Dahlia Murder here.

Cold Like War, the latest offering from American mainstays We Came As Romans, is the latest example of such a phenomena. The building electronics, thunderous guitar and kick drum chugs and ambient effects make the likes of opener Vultures With Clipped Wings and the title track sound, at surface level, like every other Rise Records staple circa 2008—and yet, there is a combination of both nostalgia and confronting passion which inject something special into these songs.

Written as a make or break record for the band’s career, Cold Like War is a landmark release for both We Came As Romans and metalcore as a genre.

The landmark Lost In The Moment serves as the pinpoint example of this statement. A subtle keys lead, gorgeous chorus hook and smoothly executed breakdown make for a masterful cut of post-hardcore that will surely serve as a staple in setlists for the entirety of the band’s career. Likewise, Wasted Age and If There’s Nothing Left To See remind listeners that beneath the sleek emo veneer of ten years ago, there was a heart of genuine aggression, channelled wonderfully here into balls heavy music.

Written as a make or break record for the band’s career, Cold Like War is a landmark release for both We Came As Romans and metalcore as a genre. The genre’s trademark harsh/clean vocal trade off, wonderfully achieved here by Dave Stephens & Kyle Pavone, the stop/start song structure and EDM flirtation are all present, but in a wonderfully succinct and natural manner. Heck, the band even throw in an icy pop ballad in the form of Promise Me just to prove that they can keep up with the times if they really want to.

Cold Like War achieves the juxtaposing title of being a perfect entry level record for a genre that has seen its heyday, whilst by no means sounding like a backward step for the band producing it. After a difficult 18 months, Cold Like War is the sound of WCAR going back to the sounds they love, and producing 10 songs with the improved creative skills they have attained throughout their career.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Vultures With Clipped Wings, Lost In The Moment, Cold Like War
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