We Came As The Empire 4/16/19
We Came as Romans have persevered through the death of their frontman, Kyle Pavone. His unexpected death last August was incredibly shocking to the band and the community itself. Nobody believed We Came as Romans would ever play another show again. But now, with Dave Stephens taking on all vocal duties, the band has returned to be stronger than ever before. They have embarked on a massive Spring tour co-headlined with Metalcore giants Crown the Empire. Progressive Metalcore leaders ERRA & Rock band SHVPES round out a fantastic Spring lineup that you cannot miss at all!
We Came as Romans always give 110% in their live settings no matter what. With the success of their 2017 album Cold Like War. The band has a newfound perspective on how to write songs that can appeal to all fans, not to mention joining Sharptone Records. The spirit of Kyle Pavone has always resonated in this band, and it always will. Dave Stephens sings from his heart with both heavy amounts of harsh screaming and peaceful amounts of nice cleans. WCAR’s set was a huge amount of fan favorites like “ To Plant a Seed”, “Fade Away”, “Hope” & “Tracing Back Roots”! The songs off Cold like War also blended in very well with tracks like “Wasted Age” & “Foreign Fire”. It was an extremely diverse set that can really meet the fixture of punishing mosh anthems and songs that get you in the mood to bounce that really help to set the tone. The fans were eagerly having an excellent time at the show. Many patrons were screaming their lungs outs to some of metalcore’s finest anthems within the decade. The mosh pits formed across the Gramercy Theater very quickly, it was so big that it almost looked like the eye of a hurricane once fans began pulling off an insane amount of aggression. While the chaos in the middle goes on, Sick rhythm patterns from drummer David Puckett & fantastic riff passages from guitarist Lou Cotton make up the bulk of WCAR’s transcended metalcore that really hits hard. It was a wonderful sight to behold throughout the whole night.
Co-headliner’s Crown the Empire, returned to NYC once again to deliver an incredible live performance. After opening up for Underoath on the Erase Me tour last December, it was great to see the band return to New York City so quickly after a few months. To say that these guys are never not on the road is an understatement. CTE just recently premiered a new single called “Sudden Sky”, so you can tell that new music from these guys will be on the horizon very soon. With a sound that tries to embrace the use of Pop music for its cleans and very harsh screams that give metalcore the edge that it is known for. Vocalist Andy Leo really channels in that mixture very well and sometimes uses an opera sounding like tenure for many different songs. Which gives the bands a much more unique presence among their peers Crown the Empire blends these styles together very well to make sure they can attract a fan base that appeals to everyone. Plenty of fans were singing along as you could hear everyone’s voices echo out quite well in the Gramercy Theater. Crown the Empire’s setlist featured a great amount of songs with staples like “Machines”, “Memories of a Broken Heart” & “Johnny Ringo”. It was overall a set that really brought out the best of both worlds for the band.
ERRA is by far one of the brightest stars to shine on Sumerian Record’s current label. This is band that has been growing tremendously in both musical scope and fan base. Featuring extremely heavy musical patterns and some excellent guitar riffs that move at a breakneck pace. ERRA is not afraid to show off that metalcore can have both style and substance. Current vocalist J.T. Cavey, who originally fronted Texas in July, shows off an incredible range. Cavey really showcases some insane screams that truly keep on your toes and a range that is truly impressive. Meanwhile, Jesse Cash plays a bunch of sick guitar melodies that will make you excited. Top on the clean vocals to this combo and the excitement amplifies. The melodic balance between Cavey and Cash is absolutely stunning to see in person as it really keeps you on intrigued to hear each song. ERRA’s setlist was primarily focused on their last two albums with excellent songs like “Irreversible”, “Rebirth”, “Skyline” & “Breach”. A setlist that really focused on ERRA’s best musical aspects that newcomers and hardcore fans could truly enjoy.
SHVPES in an English Rock band making a steady grind to play for people who want some variety. This is their first USA tour ever, so they’re truly going to gain some new fans. The hybrids of Nu-Metal & Post Hardcore are a really interesting mix, especially for a tour like this. Their mixture is very similar to groups like Sylar, Issues, Fire from the Gods, Cane Hill & Palisades. Each of those bands have been doing their own Nu-Metalcore hybrid. But, SHVPES does their own spin to make them stand out. With plenty of catchy choruses, hip-hop like vocals and bouncy guitar riffs SHVPES is truly set to bring a force that nobody has ever expected to hit. This band wants to make you feel nostalgic for the days of Korn, P.O.D & Limp Bizkit but they truly sound like a band from the modern era. Especially when songs like “Undertones” & “Afterlife” have a sound that reminds you a lot of groups like Bring me the Horizon or Motionless in White. This is a band that can really merge a stylistic trend between two eras of music. Be on the look out for these guys.
We Came as Romans & Crown the Empire brought a very solid tour to entertain a variety fans at the Gramercy Theater. It’s great to see both bands stay on a steady grind on touring all the time. Stay on the look out for the rest of the tour! This is a huge one, that’s for sure!
Tour Dates:
March 18 – Lexington, Ky. @ Manchester Music Hall
March 20 – Nashville, Tenn. @ The Cowan
March 21 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Amos’ Southend
March 23 – New Orleans, La. @ La. Buku Music – Art Project
March 25 – Corpus Christi, Texas @ House of Rock
March 26 – Austin, Texas @ Come and Take It Live
March 27 – Dallas, Texas @ 2513 Deep Ellum
March 28 – Tempe, Ariz. @ Marquee Theatre
March 30 – Anaheim, Calif. @ Swanfest
April 1 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Great American Music Hall
April 2 – Portland, Ore. @ Hawthorne Theatre
April 3 – Seattle, Wash. @ El Corazon
April 5 – Denver, Colo. @ Summit Music Hall
April 6 – Lawrence, Kan. @ Granada
April 8 – Des Moines, Iowa @ Wooly’s
April 9 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Skyway Theatre
April 11 – Chicago, Ill. @ House of Blues
April 12 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ The Citadel
April 13 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ The Intersection
April 14 – Detroit, Mich. @ St. Andrew’s Hall
April 16 – New York, N.Y. @ Gramercy Theatre
April 18 – Boston, Mass. @ Paradise Rock Club
April 19 – Sayreville, N.J. @ Starland Ballroom
April 20 – Hartford, Ct. @ The Webster Theater
April 21 – Baltimore, Md. @ Baltimore Soundstage
April 23 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Masquerade
April 24 – Tampa, Fla. @ The Orpheum
April 27 – Houston, Texas @ So What? Music Fest
April 28 – San Antonio, Texas @ Paper Tiger
