Review Summary: Great, for what it is.
We as Human has been around since 2006 but only recently released their debut album. It's certainly not because of a lack of talent; it's because of how generic the music is. We as Human has a very basic formula, always following the verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. They play radio rock with an edge. If you don't like that kind of music, they'll do nothing to change your opinion, but if you like bands Three Days Grace, Adelitas Way, or Skillet, you'll love We as Human's debut album.
We as Human are a Christian band and as such, their lyrics are going to reflect that. They don't go overboard and never say Jesus's name, but tracks like
I Stand and
Dead Man obviously are written from a Christian perspective. Generally though, unless you listen closely, you wouldn't know they were a religious band. Lyrics in other songs are sub-par at best.
Strike Back is probably the worst contender.
The bigger they are, the harder they fall
You're going to suffer
Hit me, I'll hit back harder
The bigger you are, the harder you fall
It's your darkest hour
Hit me, I hit you harder
The lyrics are so repetitive throughout the song that they detract from its overall quality.
All the members of the band are competent at what they do, but if they can go above and beyond, they are not showing it. Justin's vocals are the highlight of the band. Comparable to Adam from Three Days Grace and John from Skillet, his voice has the natural scratch which makes tracks like
Strike Back and
I Stand catchier, and appear heavier than they would be with a different vocalist. On the ballad We Fall Apart he, again, shows that he is adept at what he does, but he does not bring anything exemplary to the table like some of his more successful peers. Guest vocals from John (Skillet) in
Zombie and Lacey (Flyleaf) in
Take the Bullets Away help break some of the monotony that could have been a much bigger problem than it actually was.
Guitarists Jake and Justin do their job well, and especially shine on the track
Take the Bullets Away. They get more than their fair share of solos and make their presence well known without overdoing it. Dave the bassist gets washed over by all the other instruments, and is rarely audible through the album. Unfortunately, this is all too common in this genre of music. Drummer Adam doesn't have many stand-out moments either, but gets the job done.
What makes We as Human stand out from their peers? Absolutely nothing. They bring nothing new to the table, but the band is quite comfortable falling into the shadow of some of the more well-established bands in their genre. Quite frankly, they excel at it. With their mainstream appeal, they will likely rise in popularity rather quickly and topple the Christian charts.
Recommended Tracks
Strike Back
Zombie
Take the Bullets Away
I Stand
