ALBUM REVIEW: Cure – Erra

While their sound has always largely been a blend of metalcore hooks with progressive precision, the ever-reliable Alabama outfit ERRA have taken a further step towards technical metal with their latest full-length release Cure. 2021’s self-titled release featured plenty of aspects that their contemporaries in TESSERACT and PERIPHERY have found success with; the duality of clean and growled vocals, bass heavy riffs, and potent multi-layered instrumental sections in time signatures that would make a layman’s head spin. Cure is the logical next step in this direction, fully embracing from the outset the head-turning technicality of their previous release without shifting completely away from their roots.

Cure is opened by the eponymous title track, which succinctly blends groove metal riffs and heavy bass in an explosion of metalcore brilliance. While many of the tracks in their catalogue feature a fair balance between co-vocalist’s J.T. Cavey and Jesse Cash, it’s the former’s powerful screams that are showcased for the most part early on. It’s with Rumor of Light that Cash takes centre stage with his melodic vocals in its massive chorus section, supplemented brilliantly by Cavey’s gripping vocals throughout.

Idle Wild is a gearshift in the best possible way. It’s electronic opening gives way to a drop of heaviness, and while Cure has already opened in a strong manner, it’s quickly taken to new heights with this track. The rhythmic, industrial stomp on the verse of Slow Sour Bleed has an almost HEALTH quality to it, accentuated by Cash’s turn towards more hauntingly muted vocals akin to the likes of Chester Bennington. This vocal styling sees a partial return on Past Life Persona – a melodic, more poppy effort that is filled to the brim with emotion.

Cure isn’t a record that fades out – far from it. The back half of the record is packed with punches of melodic and heavy bliss that shows off a band that have taken further steps towards brilliance. The guitar centric interlude of Wish sets up the eruption of Glimpse, co-vocalists working in tandem with the rest of the band to produce one of the highlights of the record. Crawl Backwards Out Of Heaven, like it’s title may suggest, is one of the heaviest tracks on the record, bursting at its’ seams with guitar grooves and a head-banging chorus section that becomes one of the most memorable moments in a collection of already solid work. As things start to wind down, ERRA demand attention once more with the massive Pale Iris, which doesn’t break the mould of the album and instead takes everything they’ve learned, distilling it down into a controlled explosion of metalcore intensity.

Cure is a continuation of ERRA’s technical metal odyssey without being enough of a departure to spark worry in the hearts of long-time fans. Those that lean more towards the progressive side of metal will see plenty of familiar ingredients, but the brilliance of Cure lies in its execution. This release speaks of a band that are poised to take flight, expanding their solid foundations with more than enough technical precision and soul to allow them to do so.

Rating: 9/10

Cure is out now via UNFD. 

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