We came as Romans - Are a promising Metalcore band!

June 29th 2014

Dessel, Graspop Festival, Belgium

****

Nuclear Blast hopefulls impress in Belgium!

Graspop Metal Meeting

We came as Romans **** (Jupiler Stage) are one of the most promising Nuclear Blast bands at the moment and you can see why with their album 'Tracing back Roots' being their best to date, even though I think many fans would disagree with me. Strangely enough they have been put on the very small outdoor Jupiler stage today and I don't know why because they seem to have pulled a really big crowd to see them.

They open up with the title track of the new album 'Tracing back Roots' which is Metalcore that verges on Deathcore in places and is really shouty. Vocalist David Stephens add the dirty nasty vocal to the track until Kyle Pavone come with anthem Esq. clean vocal and the song really lifts off in a different direction, that in some ways is commercial. They continue the set on with the next song on the new album 'Fade Away' which even has Emo tendancies to it and is one of the most commercial songs the band has done to date and is why they might be getting more and more popular. I love the twists and turns in this song and it goes down really well in the Belgium sun.

'Mis//Understanding' off the album before is a heavier track that gives space for circle pit as again the chorus kicks in with nice melodies that compliment the heavy parts. Also in this song their is a killer beat down that doesn't last long but is a nice change for a festival that doesn't have to many upto date new bands on the bill. We came as Romans are a very listenible and songs like 'Ghosts' and older songs 'To plant a Seed' and 'Roads that don't end and views that never Cease' flow by nicely and their set feels like it's going by in the blink of an eye.

But still to come is ne of the highlights of the bands set is 'Glad you Came' which is the bands cover of The Wanted the English boy band that hit it big in the US. This is one of the best cover versions I have heard in a while and it's always good to hear it done live. They end with the track 'Hope' a song that has been lifting the popularity of the band, you can see why because of the commercial aspects of the song. We came as Romans are a promising name for the future and 'Tracing back Roots' is well worth a purchase and We came as Romans are really worth going to see so if you see them on a bill, go and check them out you won't be disappointed.

We came as Romans - Setlist
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Tracing back Roots
Fade Away
Mis//Understanding
Ghosts
To plant a Seed
Glad you Came
Roads that don't end and views that never Cease
Hope

Review and Photo's by Dave Deadsy