“Shimmering in the grey, living for yesterday, wishing we had stayed.”
Few bands can match the artistry of ERRA. Returning for their sixth studio album, the progressive metalcore titans have truly come a long way. Amidst numerous lineup changes and ever-evolving musicianship, ERRA have always found a way to craft a sound unique and iconic to them. Each album cycle adds another layer to their multifaceted identity and displays a new dimension of the band.
The band’s 2021 self-titled album is arguably their most ambitious and experimental work. A record that pushed far beyond that band’s known capabilities, it saw ERRA showcase a massive expansion of their sound. It was equal parts challenging and intriguing to imagine where the band could go next. Three years on, we find ourselves with Cure.
With the album’s initial two singles, “Pale Iris”, and its title track, it was evident where the band was headed. Moving away from the instrumentally flamboyant nature of its preceding album, ERRA had distilled their sound into a groovier, rhythmically-led version of itself. The two tracks are enveloped by a darker and brooding atmosphere, retaining ERRA’s signature instrumentation but giving the technical elements a supporting role in their djent-oriented direction. Primary songwriter and guitarist-vocalist Jesse Cash remarkably finds yet another way to reinvigorate the band’s sound. Recruiting revered producer Daniel Braunstein (Invent Animate, Silent Planet, Spiritbox), his trademark, full-sounding production style is the perfect fit.
The album’s third single, “Blue Reverie”, opted for a gentler approach. Intricate natural harmonic tapping leads paired with tasteful grooves from bassist Connor Hesse signal the intro. The track’s wistful verses portray a longing for escapism, as Cash takes a subtler approach with his usual vocals. The track’s guitar work almost feels like a marriage between the styles of ERRA and Ghost Atlas, Cash’s rock side project. It’s certainly been a busy year for him, with new albums from both his musical endeavours releasing in the same year. Not lacking in a moment of tasteful contrast however, a Tool-esque riff brings the track into punchy, unapologetically djenty breakdown as lead vocalist JT Cavey comes swinging in full force. Unexpected yet welcome, the breakdown provides a tasteful climax, yet still flows within the context of the track, displaying ERRA’s ability to vary the dynamics of their music.
Far from the first impression the initial three singles create, second track “Rumor of Light” presents a matured version of the band. Cash and newcomer guitarist Clint Tustin fill the space with the band’s hallmarks; a combination of low-string riffing and melodically contrasting leads played in a way that is unmistakably ERRA. The mid-track solo is rather reminiscent of Cash’s playing style in the early days of ERRA, providing a fascinating blend of the band’s many sonic phases. “Idle Wild” has hints of previous albums Neon and Drift in its instrumentation, displaying an interesting sense of continuity for the band. They take their past sensibilities and refine them, resulting in some of their most self-actualised work and setting the stage for the rest of the record. Cash and Cavey’s vocals complement each other excellently as always, consistently nailing the harmonic contrast that the duo has become iconic for.
“Stone Sour Bleed” takes the album for a sharp turn, with an eerie, robotic synth intro giving way to a menacing riff backed by an ominous ambience. The dark electronics punctuating the track harken back to the band’s cover of “Heresy” by Nine Inch Nails, which is an unexpected but welcome influence to pull from. The track plays with its dynamics to great effect, pulling back in the verses and exploding into a beefy chorus led by Cavey. His monstrous vocals are unmistakably badass, providing a punch to the track that is his own. The track hits is climax with a dark house beat dropping into an infectiously groovy breakdown, as Cavey despondently screams about the state of humanity.
An intriguing detail of the album’s tracklist is the way it ebbs and flows; it lets the album reach calmer waters before flinging it back into a storm. Mid-album interlude “Wish” leads into “Glimpse”, a track that encapsulates the concept of this album’s flow. The verses are heavily involved, with Cavey spearheading a barrage of aggressive guitar work complete with Cash’s signature false harmonic riffs. Directly contrasting this is an ethereal chorus that opens up the space to a swaying atmosphere bolstered by Cash’s vocal harmonies. The track ends on an extended outro, dropping out the music to Cash’s vocals hypnotically closing it out.
“Past Life Persona” sees the album take its most melodic turn, with Cash’s wistful vocals leading most of the track. Cavey continues to demonstrate his range past his usual screams, providing a pleasant surprise with his smooth, lower register singing in the track’s refrain. With moments of his singing on the album being more abundant that before, it’s encouraging to see Cavey’s vocal confidence improving, providing yet another enjoyable dimension to ERRA’s already expansive sound. “Past Life Persona” takes the album to melancholic heights, with its sonder-inducing melodies punctuating every detail of the track.
The whiplash that is “Crawl Backwards Out of Heaven” follows directly after, swerving the album back into a darker and heavier direction. Intriguing in its structure, the track constantly throws rhythmic curveballs while building towards a sinister, trance-like bridge which sees Cavey’s screams layered over Cash’s lower vocals to create an unnerving atmosphere. Although his drum work has been impressively consistent to this point, Alex Ballew shines especially on this track as he adapts to the numerous switch-ups. From perfectly timed fills to two-step sections, Ballew continues to demonstrate his precision and technical ability. With most of the album’s lyrics centering around apocalyptic themes, this track certainly captures its bleakness. This and “Slow Sour Bleed” bring an industrial metal influence that I hope ERRA explore more in the future.
With the album hitting peaks at differing extremes consecutively, “End to Excess” feels like an equalizer. The album feels like it goes full circle as it goes back to the sound it introduced at the start. Gliding between alternating time signatures on the verses and chorus, it continues to carry the wavelike motion of the album. This, paired with “Pale Iris” give a sense of continuity to the album in its back half.
With one last twist up their sleeves, “Wave” departs from the album’s djent-heavy sound and features the strongest progressive metal influences on the album. With its unusual flow and heavily melodic instrumentation, there is a fitting dissimilitude for the album’s final track. The vocal chemistry between Cash and Cavey excel yet again here, as they bounce off each other to create the cinematic feel of the track’s composition. Cash’s vocals in particular are at their most captivating here, with his soaring melodies invoking a strong sense of wistfulness. With its considerably uplifting nature, the song is juxtaposed with a tinge of nihilism in its lyrics. Although unexpected on first listen, “Wave” is undeniably the epic closer that Cure deserves.
With ERRA’s previous effort being their most expansive work, the next logical step would be to distil that into its most concise form. Cure undoubtedly achieves that. Unpredictable in its flow, yet fully cohesive, the album experience this time round is so much more satisfying. Sonically, the band presents a matured version of itself, pulling from influences past and present, all encased in a powerful atmosphere that brings it a sense of completeness. In its departure from the aggressive experimentation of its preceding album, Cure’s details are mostly hidden under its surface, rewarding those who venture into its depths. Simply put, they’ve outdone themselves again. Lyrically, it muses about the end of the world and the human condition; there’s a certain comfort in its vulnerabilities hidden under metaphors. Cure undeniably cements ERRA’s position in the upper echelons of the progressive metalcore scene, with an uncanny ability reinvent and progress their sound.
9.5/10
Cure releases on the 5th of April via UNFD. You can find pre-orders and merch for the album here.