“Walking in the shadow of my own ghost, I long to feel the sun again.”
Deluxe editions as a concept are typically hit or miss for me, more often leaning toward miss. Many disappointingly opt to include a b-side or two, live versions or alternative renditions that frequently fail to meaningfully add to the main body of the original album. ERRA’s self-titled deluxe is not one such release. Boasting three all-new tracks that not only match, but at times surpass the bar of quality set by the main body of the album, it’s hard not to be impressed by what’s on offer here. Further, the deluxe includes three brand new covers, as well as the previously released redux of “Vanish Canvas” featuring Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante. For what is pushed as an extension of their stellar self-titled record, this is ostensibly a full release in its own right.
For the sake of brevity, I won’t be discussing much of the main album here. If you want to read my review of the original album, which was released in March of last year, click here. In short, though, I felt ERRA’s self-titled was one of the strongest and most refreshing metalcore records released last year. Fantastic songwriting, frequently great interplay between vocalists JT Cavey and Jesse Cash, as well as far and away the punchiest production the band had seen to date, ERRA was an absolute treat from end to end.
Opening with three all-new tracks, “Sol Absentia”, “Psalm of Sedition”, and “Nigh To Silence”, ERRA’s deluxe seeks to prove out of the gate that it deserves and earns its place amongst the main body of the tracklist. Truthfully, these three songs surpass even some of the best tracks on the original record, with “Nigh To Silence” in particular standing out as one of the best songs this band has ever written. Replete with what made the best cuts on ERRA shine in their infectious hooks, mind-melting riffs and pit-opening breakdowns, these three tracks are sure to go down as all-time fan favourites.
“Vanish Canvas” was my favourite track off of ERRA, and while the new rendition doesn’t add a whole lot to the track, any reason to revisit this track is good enough for me. The way Cash belts out the track’s heartfelt hook “Let this moment break your heart, something greater to impart.” resonated with me a lot upon first hearing the album last year, and that feeling has not yet faded. “Vanish Canvas” is one of the most downright gorgeous metal tracks of the decade so far, with LaPlante’s feature in the redux serving as a nice, if fairly minor addition to an already-fantastic track.
Going into the final leg of the deluxe we have three covers: Muse’s “Stockholm Syndrome”, Audioslave’s “Light My Way”, and Nine Inch Nails’ “Heresy”. While the final two covers are more than serviceable and unique takes on those classic tracks, the former of the three in “Stockholm Syndrome” caught me way, way off guard the first I heard it. It feels strange to say given it’s a cover, but I think this cover might be my favourite track ERRA have ever made. The way in which ERRA have translated Muse’s track into their far-removed metalcore sound is nothing short of remarkable. Cash’s world-class riffing stands out here, but the track further contains one of the best choruses I’ve ever heard in a metal track. This cover surpasses the original in a way I never would have expected, with this iteration of the song feeling like its one true form, like it was always meant to be this way.
With their self-titled deluxe, ERRA surpass any and all expectations of what the modern-day deluxe edition should include. A collection of three fantastic originals, as well as some lovely extra goodies that feel far from filler, ERRA have somehow broken the deluxe curse, and found a way to meaningfully add to the already-stellar original album in a way that makes me appreciate the package as a whole even more.
9/10
ERRA (Deluxe) will be available via UNFD this Friday, March 18th, and you can find pre-orders here.