Can we talk about ERRA for a bit?
Anyone who knows me knows that I love singing the praises of this band. They’ve quickly become one of my favorites over the past two years, sitting squarely in my top five thanks to their insane creativity and genuine dedication to making spectacular music. Last year, they came out guns blazing with the release of their fifth, self-titled album, ERRA. The album is a top-to-bottom banger and an honest-to-god metalcore masterpiece. This past Friday, March 18, ERRA released the deluxe version of this album, one day off from the original release date on March 19, 2021. They say you can’t improve upon perfection, but goddamn, ERRA sure did.
For those unfamiliar, ERRA hail from Birmingham, Alabama. Originally formed in 2009, the metalcore outfit is currently comprised of Jesse Cash (vocals and guitar), JT Cavey (vocals), Alex Ballew (drums), Sean Price (guitars), and Conor Hesse (bass). They are currently signed to UNFD, a part of UNIFIED Music Group. The description of the band on UNFD’s website reads, “Determination and steadfast dedication have defined ERRA’s path, forging a unique connection with an ever-growing audience, without the advantages of traditional recognition. Monumental riffs and enchanting melodies litter the cerebral, immersive soundscapes powering each of the progressive metal merchant’s albums, culminating in a career-defining fifth, boldly self-titled ERRA.” Sums the band up pretty well, I think.
And speaking of their fifth album, ERRA clearly understand the art of the re-release. Rather than adding in a new song or two and padding the original with a heap of live recordings, this deluxe album comes packed with three brand new songs (not b-sides), the previously released version of their song “Vanish Canvas” featuring rising metalcore icon Courtney LaPlante, and three covers. The new songs, “Sol Absentia,” “Psalm of Sedition,” and “Nigh to Silence,” are each extremely polished and accent everything the original album already did so very well. Courtney LaPlante’s inclusion in “Vanish Canvas,” though somewhat limited, is still perfectly fitting. And the covers of Muse’s “Stockholm Syndrome,” Audioslave’s “Light My Way,” and Nine Inch Nails’ “Heresy” are the kinds of covers that might leave some questioning if the remakes are better than the originals.
So, for the sake of my own indulgence, I’d like to dive deeper into what makes this album tick so well for me, going front to back, song by song. With the deluxe edition, there’s quite a bit to cover, so let’s jump right in.
Kicking off the album is the powerful tune known as “Snowblood.” This was the first track, the first single, released for the album back in August of 2020. From the moment this song dropped, I knew we were in for something special. It’s a perfect opener for the album, with punchy drums, soaring vocals, and one of Jesse Cash’s best solo riffs on the whole album. “Gungrave” quickly follows suit with a diabolic opening riff. The progression of this song is, at times, unbelievable. The brilliant lyrics and instrumentals will hook you in seconds, all before the end of the song absolutely wallops you in the best way possible. “Divisionary” is one of the calmer tracks on the album, though it is no less potent and pertinent. It acts as a callout to how almost reliant we’ve become on technology, particularly phones, and how that has started to drive us apart from one another. It’s a powerful message, delivered without ever feeling too aggressive or in your face.
“House of Glass” is one of ERRA’s stranger tunes, sounding almost like something TOOL would concoct. The song plays with crazy riffs and rhythms that stand out so prominently when compared to the rest of the album. It’s not necessarily a favorite of mine, but it’s a strong track, nonetheless. “House of Glass” flows right into the next song, “Shadow Autonomous,” one of the best tracks on the album. Oftentimes, I find ERRA’s best songs are the ones that push just past the five-minute mark, and this tune is no different. This is one of ERRA’s most lyrically powerful songs to date, complemented wonderfully by the hypnotizing guitars and synths. Following that comes “Electric Twilight,” which essentially acts a sort of reprieve from much of the lyrical intensity already present in the album. This is certainly one of the more fun songs ERRA have to offer, with drum beats and guitar riffs that demand your attention all the way through.
We then grind into the most intense song on the album, “Scorpion Hymn.” This is a flat out banger and one of ERRA’s heaviest tunes to date. It’s also one of the few that features only screaming vocals, playing into some of JT Cavey’s greatest strengths. His growl in this song is still unreal to me. And then there’s “Lunar Halo.” I will never forget the first time I listened to this track—how I was immediately enthralled by the vocoded intro chorus and the unbelievable opening instrumentals. This song is brimming with energy front to back, and it features my favorite guitar solo on the whole album. It’d probably be my favorite track of the album, period, were it not for the song that immediately follows it.
It’s still shocking to me that ERRA had the audacity to follow up such an energetic song like “Lunar Halo” with the mesmerizing and euphoric melodies of “Vanish Canvas.” Since the album first dropped a year ago, I think “Vanish Canvas” has sort of become ERRA’s new anthem of sorts, and rightfully so. This is perhaps the most beautiful song, overall, they have ever crafted. It definitely gives “Skyline,” from their 2016 album Drift, a run for its money. Equally gentle and powerful, captivating yet freeing, the lyrics of this song will stick with you for a lifetime. And the enchanting instrumentals of the song only help to amplify Cash and Cavey’s vocals. It’s easy to see why the band saw fit to redo this song, then, with Courtney LaPlante, lead vocalist of Spiritbox. Her soothing voice perfectly fits the tone of this song. Again, while her feature isn’t that long, it’s still abundantly meaningful, to the point that I think the version including her is probably the definitive one.
We then jump to “Eidolon” and “Remnant.” These two, for me, are probably the weakest tracks of the album. Not to say they’re bad—far from it. When you look at them standing next to the other tracks, though, they definitely don’t stack up quite the same. Which is interesting, considering they feature some fairly unique instrumentals and lyrics. “Eidolon” is another song with only heavy, screaming vocals from Cavey, and “Remnant” features soaring vocals and some truly captivating guitar riffs. Overall, though, these two just don’t work for me quite the same as many of the other tracks. Still, they are definitely worthy inclusions; if anything, they help to cement and stabilize what is otherwise a fairly bombastic album.
Closing out the original version of the album, then, is “Memory Fiction.” I never would have expected to be graced by the soothing sounds of a piano in an ERRA track, especially when considering the way ERRA’s previous albums have ended. “The Hypnotist” off of Drift (my favorite ERRA song) and “Ultimata” off of 2018’s Neon are complex and loud, whereas “Memory Fiction” is soft and compelling. It’s a surprisingly thought-provoking song. Hell, I’m not ashamed to admit that I did, in fact, shed a few tears listening to this one the first time around. In hindsight, there’s really no other way I could see this album ending. “Memory Fiction” truly is a perfect closer.
With the original tracks settled, then, we now come to the three new tracks from the deluxe edition, starting with “Sol Absentia.” This is probably my favorite of the new three, though it’s in a tough competition with “Nigh to Silence.” “Sol Absentia” is a blast, start to finish, filled with crazy guitars, blasting drums, and energizing vocals. Not to mention, the progression of the chorus in this song is absolutely wild. “Psalm of Sedition” is another lyrically powerful track, but not necessarily one of my favorites when it comes to instrumentals. It’s far from basic—it’s actually fairly complex and creative—it just doesn’t have the same punch as many of the other tracks. Overall, it’s in a similar boat as “Eidolon” and “Remnant.” “Nigh to Silence,” then, is yet another hypnotizing song. This tune features one of my favorite choruses from the band, period, with Cash giving his all on the vocals. It’s all accented brilliantly by the enamoring guitars and Cavey’s grungy screams. It’s another great track that, in its own right, could certainly act as a closer to the album.
The three new covers from the band deserve just as much attention as any of their original tracks, though. As Jesse Cash has noted in previous interviews and videos, Muse’s “Stockholm Syndrome” is definitely the kind of song that does naturally lend itself to the sounds of metal(core). The riffs and lyrics of the original song are easily propelled forward in ERRA’s take; it almost sounds like it could be one of their own, original songs. The cover of Audioslave’s “Light My Way” works much the same. I’m a big fan of Audioslave’s original, self-titled album, so I was beyond excited to hear this one. And that band already had a very punchy, soaring sound, which ERRA easily capitalize on and use to play into their own strengths. I’m obviously a little biased, but this is my favorite of the three covers, with the duet of Cash and Cavey sounding absolutely awesome start to finish. And finally, Nine Inch Nails’ “Heresy” stands as a rather interesting choice. This is clearly not the kind of song ERRA would typically conjure on their own. This is already a very controversial tune, but I’m glad ERRA decided to tackle it. Because, again, it’s a song that lends itself to the band’s strengths, and they did a great job reinterpreting it.
And with all of that, you’ve got the deluxe edition of ERRA. In truth, my words don’t nearly do justice to what the band accomplished with this album. It’s one of those things you have to experience for yourself to fully understand. Obviously, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and to each their own. However, if you have a taste for metalcore and you haven’t checked out this album yet, you really should. And even if you’re not a fan of the genre, it still might be worth checking out anyway. It never hurt to try something new, after all.
ERRA, original and/or deluxe, simultaneously manages to feel like a singular, cohesive unit while also allowing each song to claim its own identity. These are all uniquely individual songs that clearly belong together in one collection. Furthermore, this is an album that, I believe, exemplifies the best of what music can be, period. It is a genuine representation of what makes music so impactful as an art form. When creative minds are put to the task, they can create something truly spectacular, something that can leave a lasting and meaningful impression on those who experience it.
That’s part of what I believe ERRA naturally do so well. They artfully craft music that they believe in, and music that they want others to believe in as well. Needless to say, this album—this band and their music—means quite a bit to me. I was excited for the original release right from the beginning, and it lived up to all of my expectations and then some. The same is true for the deluxe re-release.
This album originally dropped during a somewhat difficult time in my life, and listening to it on repeat when things got rough was a big boost for me. This triumphant re-release strikes me as oddly appropriate, then, as I feel like I’m in a much better place now than I was a year ago. Seems only right that I get to enjoy this masterpiece all over again, with a brighter perspective and several wonderful cherries on top. I hope you’ll all give it a go, as well, and find out just what the hell I’m talking about.