We came as Romans - Do a good steady set!

***3/4

The Romans invade London!

We came as Romans ***3/4 are back in the UK for the first time since their brilliant set at the Alexandra Palace in London on the Vans Warped tour 2013. So their is quite some anticipation for this years performance. I bought their last album 'Tracing back Roots' and I really did like it and played it while I was doing jobs around the house, the only sad thing was the songs didn't really sink in as well as they should do. The thing I really wanted to know is will the band live up to all the good things that everyone has been saying about them. They open up their set with this title track 'Tracing back Roots' which is off the bands most successful album to date, which hit No.8 in the US charts and I can see straight away that they are a very promising band indeed that knows how to put on a good live show.

The Nuclear Blast new hope fulls deliver good steady beats of Metalcore as they casually stroll into second song 'Ghosts' which they have just released a video for and has a great rhythm to it. This song has a riff to it that could have come from traditional Hardcore or even Black Metal and is a very shouty track that is topped up by clean vocals and anthem Esq. "OoOh's".

The next track 'Fade Away' the second song on their new album hits in very nicely and has a chorus that sounds a little like fellow touring mates 'Chunk No!, Captain Chunk!! or maybe even one of the many Emo bands coming out about five years ago like Kids in glass Houses or even The Blackout. They seem a little too laid back at times during the set and not as energetic as normal which is a little bit of a let down and some of the tracks like 'I Survive' just pass the time a little.

'Never let me Go' is again very commercial actually probably one of the most user friendly songs the band has produced and really verges on the Emo / Screamo name and could have been done by an act like Escape the Fate or Falling in Reverse if it wasn't for the We came as Romans trademarks near the end. This track really has a mass appeal "So hold me close and never let you go!" very inspiring words and a song I don't think the band has sold out producing it, their is also hints of some of the earlier Crossfaith work in it in places. They play their brilliant cover of 'Glad you Came' originally recorded by The Wanted who sadly are going to split up this year. This track isn't as good as it normally is tonight with the band even getting some of the lyrics wrong and seem to not be caring about putting all their life into it like it's just added to the set as a filler.

One of the major highlights comes off the bands 2009 album 'To plant a Seed' which was a more heavy incarnation for them, 'Roads that never end and views that never Cease' is one of the bands masterpieces and you can see that the fans love it. One of the problems I have with this band is that their is no stand out member and no one really steps the performance up to the next level and their is so much potential with these songs. Like the title track of this 2009 record and the closer 'Hope' which both really end the set of with a blast. I would go and see We came as Romans again and I look forward to seeing what they can do in the future.

We came as Romans - Setlist
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Tracing back Roots
Ghosts
Fade Away
To move on is to Grow
I Survive
Never let me Go
Glad you Came
Roads that don't end and views that never Cease
Present, Future, and Past
A Moment
To plant a Seed
Hope

Review and Photo's by Dan Devour

Check Out! the Video for 'Never let you Go' Below...