Review Summary: A bunch of kids from Alabama make a statement.
Looking back on their time as a band, it’s clear to see that Erra always knew what they wanted to be. One can pick any point of their career and hear the flawless combination of fast-paced technicality, gorgeous melodies, and ferocious aggression that they’ve become synonymous with. Though, as critically acclaimed as they’ve been in the past with albums like Augment and 2021’s self-titled LP, it’s sometimes lost that they nearly perfected their sound right from the start. Erra’s self-titled EP is a shotgun blast of what they would later refine into a well-oiled machine. From the opening guitar leads to the introductory banshee shriek of vocalist Garrison Lee, these kids from Alabama immediately laid the foundation for what progressive metalcore would become.
Before they had reinvented the wheel,
Erra showcases a band writing a love letter to their influences. Both guitarists Jesse Cash and Alan Rigdon have been vocal about their love of iconic metalcore band Misery Signals, and it’s never more apparent than in their early work. The speed at which they’re able to bounce between heavy polyrhythmic chugs and beautifully dissonant leads is at times staggeringly impressive, rivaling even the best of what Misery Signals had to offer. This is on display best in the song “Separate and Coalesce”, a near 5-minute assault of pounding riffs and lightning quick leads, ending with a patented melodic solo that would become a staple for them. Each song here hints at the band they had the potential to be, from the chugging riffs of “Towers” to the more technically savage “Dissention”, they were starting to build something that could stand on its own.
As expertly done as the guitars are, everybody else in the band also shows a veteran instinct at their craft. Vocalist Garrison Lee deserves special recognition for his ability to deliver strong screams that he utilizes to the best of his ability. There’s not a single second of this album that feels wasted from him as he provides a diverse foray of throat-shredding highs, bellowing lows, and a forceful mid-range roar. He is a needed contrast to Jesse’s more angelic singing, though the latter of which is more sparsely used here more than ever. Not to be outdone, bassist Adam Hicks also rises to the occasion, throwing done slick bass lines to fill the sound out to its maximum potential, such as in the quieter moments in intro track “Faction”. Lastly, drummer Alex Ballew provides the rhythmic backbone that the band can fall back on. Having played in bands with Jesse before, Alex knows how to lend the perfect backdrop that accentuates and augments both Jesse and Alan’s songwriting capabilities.
It's been nearly 15 years since Erra released their first EP, and while they certainly aren’t the same band as back then, their identity has always remained strong. Diving into this EP you will be met with that same beautiful aggression that no band has been able to match since they first arrived. Erra didn’t come onto the scene looking to revolutionize it, yet somehow along the way they’ve done exactly that. They became a strong pillar for what progressive metalcore stood for, influencing countless bands themselves, and they couldn’t have done it without
Erra.
