Yet another facet of the aforementioned Detroit scene is exemplified by the Indie Rock melodicism-meets-Thrash Metal mayhem of We Came as Romans, a wildly eclectic sextet from Motown and nearby Troy, Mich. The band began six years ago when a group of friends assembled as This Emergency, soldiering on through a succession of personnel changes (only guitarist Joshua Moore and vocalist/screamer David Stephens remain from the original lineup), retooling as We Came As Romans in 2006.
After adding vocalist Kyle Pavone, guitarist Lou Cotton, bassist Andy Glass and drummer Eric Choi, WCAR released the acclaimed EPs Demonstrations and Dreams in 2008, which helped them secure a contract with Equal Vision Records. In 2009, the band released their debut full length, To Plant a Seed, which garnered accolades well beyond the Metal scene and notched impressive rankings on Billboard’s Heatseeker and Independent charts, as well as crossing over to the bottom of the Top 200 overall chart. WCAR recently posted a brand new track on their MySpace page, “To Move On Is To Grow,” included on the deluxe CD/DVD reissue of To Plant a Seed, which was released two weeks ago.
The bad news is that WCAR are touring without Moore’s six-string services, as he was hospitalized earlier this month with a serious case of bacterial meningitis. The band was slated to return to the studio next month to begin work on their sophomore album, but Moore’s illness will likely delay recording. Thankfully, Moore posted a video from home after his release, clearly weakened and still on the mend, thanking all of his friends and fans for their best wishes and prayers.
The good news is that, in the best tradition of Rock bands from the very beginning (and perhaps the Romans well before any of us), WCAR is carrying on in the face of adversity and staying on the road with their Rock Yourself to Sleep Tour. Lend them your ears.
We Came As Romans plays The Mad Hatter Feb. 8 with opening acts For Today, The Word Alive, Woe Is Me, Texas in July and Arla Mae. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.
