“Eyes wide open but I wish I was dreaming.“
A long time coming, Darkbloom is finally upon us. Drip fed almost half of it since 2021, fans know exactly what to expect from them. Classic We Came As Romans sound, some minor experimentation with synths on a few songs as is the norm, emotional and sweeping choruses and radio-friendly metalcore. The vocals completely resting on David Stephens’ shoulders owing to the untimely loss of Kyle Pavone, Stephens definitely delivers.
Releasing the first 5 songs from the album as singles was a great move. These happen to be the most catchy and chorus heavy that metalcore fans would chew them up and build up hype for the full package. “Darkbloom” actually feels like a full on headfirst dive into the core of the album owing, with instrumentation meant to build anticipation as a robotic voice croons “I am Darkbloom”. “Plagued” has the token heavy chorus on the album which works perfectly following the previous more melodic song.
We Came As Romans have always been on the brink of creating something interesting and not unique but always end up merely grazing past. “Daggers” is one such example with booming synths and featuring rap verses by Zero 9:36 (who is amazing by himself). Personally, I found the album to be pretty backloaded in terms of deep cuts and some of the better tidbits Darkbloom has to offer. While the first five songs are good enough, they rarely stray away from your average breakdown focused song, which the band pulls of well.
While “One More Day” feels ballad-y at times owing to the more slower pacing and more heartfelt lyrics, the outro really surprised me in a good way, laden with pleasant synths. I do wish more bands would explore this domain without going full blown nu-metalcore. “Doublespeak” actually had me reeling with laughter for the first half minute as the electronic synth bit goes on right before tossing you into a heavy wall of riffs. The intro sounds awfully similar to Imagine Dragons’ song “It’s Time”, this song is a unique offering in terms of sound by the band and I desperately wish they would tread down this path sonically. “The Anchor” is yet another formulaic metalcore song done well, focusing lyrically on being stuck after losing someone; apt.
The final two songs bear extreme weight from an emotional standpoint, especially after Pavone. The cleans are something that stand out on “Closing The Embers”. The outro to it flows out beautifully in an almost joyous tune into “Promise You”; a throwback to “Promise Me” off Cold Like War. This is exactly how ballads should be done, on a closer no less. Emotionally heavy, hopeful and closing out Darkbloom on a rather bright note contrary to the album itself.
We Came As Romans deliver on all fronts with Darkbloom. Putting their best foot forward, its an emotional and fun experience all in one with a perfect length of a little over half an hour too. I do wish they embraced the synths elements or experimental moments going forward as they seem to be super close to popping off à la Bad Omens and curating something truly unique to the scene. There are no dull moments, just a few anticipated ones and some truly mesmerizing ones, neither of which disappoint.
8/10
Darkbloom is out this Friday via Sharptone Records and can be pre-ordered here.