We Came As Romans - To Plant A Seed

Peacefully laying in the generic, synth-laden, post-hardcore abyss rests We Came As Roman’s debut full-length, To Plant A Seed. From the easiest of comparisons to The Devil Wears Prada, all the way to the general lack of creativity in all aspects of their music, We Came As Romans rehash every musical cliché this bloated scene has to offer in 10 seemingly indistinctive tracks. To Plant A Seed‘s only saving grace is it’s phenomenal production value but it still lacks in all musical arenas pulling it into generic oblivion.

Tightly latching on to the sing-scream-sing (or vice versa) formula this music has laid before itself, each song bounces between deep growls and high, auto-tuned clean parts that never feel authentic in the least. The album’s problems begin from the start, and don’t seem to take a breather. Whether it’s the layers of auto-tune on keyboardist/vocalist Kyle Pavone’s voice, or the easily predictable riffs followed by walls of unnecessary synth meant to simulate orchestral pieces at times, the record melds together into one 36 minute jumble of mildly inspired musicianship.

Giving this record the only life it seems to even have stands producer Joey Sturgis, who also produced their previous EP, Dreams. From a production standpoint, the work is beautiful on this record. Every beat and strum is perfectly timed and mixed to perfection. The glossy feel of these tracks really shows Joey’s understanding of his software and the music he’s dealing with and really gives We Came As Romans a beautiful sound to work with.

With an overall uninspired feel throughout and lack of creativity, We Came As Romans have a long way to go if they care to break ground in any way. The record will suffice for any post-hardcore scene kid, but beyond that niche crowd, the appeal of their music is minimal and can be found in many other bands far more interesting. While perhaps not a complete failure, To Plant A Seed sure could use a lot of work.