Erra – Erra
Release Date: 19th March 2021
Label: UNFD
Pre-Order/Pre-Save
Genre: Progressive Metalcore, Djent, Progressive Metal.
FFO: Northlane, Invent//Animate, Volumes, Tool, Periphery, Counterparts, Wage War, Polaris, Intervals.
Review By: Ryan Shearer
I saw an interesting post online a few weeks ago after Erra announced their new album, asking why it was self-titled. Some replied thinking it was lazy, others just thought it was part of a pattern bands do. I thought something different – Erra’s fifth album ERRA, and their first on new label UNFD, is self-titled for a very good reason: It is the truest, most authentic & definitive album summarising their sound as a band to date, and it excels in all the ways it should.
ERRA was recorded, mixed & mastered by Grammy-nominated duo Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland, and covers the styles and sounds they’ve explored from Impulse to Neon whilst adding a freshness & genre-leading style the scene was needing. Opener Snowblood starts with modern, synth driven melodies that wouldn’t sound out of place in the DOOM soundtrack. The energy is electric; JT Cavey’s raw screams leading into Jesse Cash’s soaring vocals create an immediate vibrancy you can’t help but get hooked into. A flavourful and diverse solo takes centre stage after the second chorus, including all the wonderful licks and techniques you want to hear in a guitar-focused section without sounding technical for the sake of it. This is Erra’s superpower – creating complex and innovative compositions without coming across pompous.
Divisionary was the third single after Snowblood & House of Glass. It’s one of Jesse’s finest vocal performances. There is such a clear and defined control at the high registers he can reach. JT also gets to stretch his clean vocal muscles, adding a sombre element towards the end. House of Glass is a more experimental track in the context of Erra. It straddles between traditional progressive metal ideas (read: TOOL) and the signature Erra sound. Technical ability is really showcased here regarding both thrashing speed during the bridge and polyrhythmic riffing throughout. Shadow Autonomous is a great example of Erra calling back to their previous albums to inspire what comes next. It feels like a modern take on their albums Impulse & Augment, with incredibly catchy hooks and chunky metalcore hammer-ons and power chords.
Electric Twilight feels like a summer’s day with ethereal lead lines and bright, warm chord transitions creating a happy and sanguine track. It is a nice change of pace yet vicious screams don’t sound out of place. It ends on such a beautifully resolute note before the next track Scorpion Hymn comes in and fucks you in the face. It’s a djenty, groovy skull-crusher of a track and takes no prisoners. Meshuggah-like rhythms and demonic low growls is a big middle finger to anyone who might accuse Erra of going soft. Not a clean note in sight here, folks – just straight-up heaviness.
Lunar Halo opens with Devin Townsend-esque vocal effects transitioning clean singing into a sparkling, angelic choir. The chorus is just a saccharine; the fusion solo and vivid soundscape make this track an essential listen for fans of Erra since Drift. Vanish Canvas feels generally the same tonally, hopeful and optimistic. The trademark Erra tapping melody with palm muted rhythm is in full force here. Eidolon gives you more of what you need. Technical guitar work, impressive drum chops and memorably vocal hooks. Remnant follows a similar structure but surprises on the solo. Groovy and jazzy licks clearly inspired by Aaron Marshall of Intervals add a tasty and alternative ingredient into the Remnant recipe.
Memory Fiction is a beautiful and introspective end to the album. The drums sound much more front and centre here than anywhere else in the album. Alex Ballew hits the drums as hard as the track hits you in the feels. It’s a deeply emotional track and you can sense Erra putting their heart on their sleeve. As the gentle melody fades out, it feels like the end of a journey. Erra truly have hit it out the park with this one.
Erra are wonderfully unique in the way that every section and each motif masterfully blends beautiful melody and aggressive rhythms without compromising on either. They don’t have the standard ‘heavy song’ or ‘ballad’ like you’d expect in most conventional albums – all the different moods and tonalities are brought in at the right time, usually simultaneously, right where they are most needed to impact the hardest. The main riff from Snowblood is as dulcet as it is crushing. Lunar Halo and Vanish Canvas channel serene beauty and aggression at the same time. Memory Fiction uses huge chords to create an emotional backdrop to the singing, pulling at the heartstrings. The production values are immense, which is no small part in pulling off these 12 tracks. Each song highlights the areas it needs to in order to maximise the effect it needs to get across. Shadow Autonomous and Gungrave wouldn’t hit nearly as hard without the fantastic mix, creating an audio assault to capitalise on the energy.
Each track on ERRA has a solid and confident foundation that sounds definitively Erra, but has a unique aspect that could make any of them lead single material. ERRA feels like such a suitable name for this album as all their previous material and experience has informed the direction the album has taken, but defined their path forward confidently. It is a massively enjoyable, energetic and mature album that any fan of modern metal should absolutely give time to, and one I hope fans of Erra hold as one of their finest efforts until they hopefully (somehow) outdo themselves in the next album.
(5 / 5)
