ALBUM REVIEW: silence outlives the earth – Erra
ERRA has always been committed to the project of combining technicality and accessibility. Their self-titled 2021 record showed sticky choruses smartly paired with percussive djent rhythms, solidifying them even more than their previous albums as unique personalities within the progressive metalcore sphere. 2023’s Cure showed the band mellowing out into a less techy, more mainstream sound that produced some great singles, including career standout Crawl Backwards Out of Heaven, but fell a bit flat in terms of execution. On silence outlives the earth, ERRA may have just achieved the perfect balance between these two records.
The singles for this album show the band doing what they do best, mixing vocalist and guitarist Jesse Cash’s ear for melodies with the rest of the band’s punishing precision. further eden matches earworm riffs with a punchy, impactful chorus. Unlike most bands attempting a catchy refrain, ERRA don’t revert to open chords during the chorus, but keep the guitar work busy and dynamic, without going into instrumental masturbation territory. The harmonic-filled breakdown should scratch the itch of any djent fan. gore of being lets harsh vocalist and frontman J.T. Cavey unleash some of his fierce shrieks over thudding guitar passages, with drummer Alex Ballew keeping tight and shifting rhythms on the kit. Cavey’s signature enunciated delivery continues to be a cornerstone of the band’s sound. However, it’s the deep cuts on the record where the band pulls out some of their most ambitious songwriting and creative riffs yet.
Opening track stelliform begins with a gentle melodic riff before bursting into a manic frenzy of guitar tapping and chugs. Cash’s breathy delivery on the chorus gives it a dreamy contrast to the staccato bursts of the verses. It’s a great introduction to the record because it shows what ERRA is capable of without fully playing their hand too early. The mournfully melodic black cloud is the most emotionally affecting track on the record, with Cash plaintively singing out, “where are you now” on the verses before belting it an octave higher on the explosive chorus.
Perhaps the most exciting portion of the record is its final leg, with the last three tracks being organised as a numbered trilogy. The first of these songs, i the many names of god, is the most unapologetically heavy, with relentless screaming from Cavey and endless instrumental switch ups that keep the brutality fresh as the track hops from its frenetic chorus riff that sounds like an alien spaceship malfunctioning to punishing grooves where Cavey really gets to let loose. Following this, ii in the gut of the wolf shines as the best song on the whole album, with its opening riffs manipulated by disorienting phasing and panning effects as the guitars shriek and wail like tortured androids. This song continues the heaviness of the previous track, but its crown jewel is its conclusion, where the song opens up into massive chords as Cash’s singing joins in to create a beautiful climax that is both intense and chill-inducing. The closing song on the album, iii twilight in the reflection of dreams finishes the trilogy out much more softly than its snarling brothers, leaving the record on a stargazing note of hope after the waves of violence that preceded it.
silence outlives the earth stands as one of, if not ERRA’s best efforts. For the band to still be digging up new ideas and exciting songs this far in their career is commendable. It shows that despite many years of being at the forefront of their peers, they are still restless and searching for new ways to fuse the beautiful and brutal. It’s safe to say they are succeeding.
Rating: 8/10
silence outlives the earth is out now via UNFD.
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