WE CAME AS ROMANS: ALL IS BEAUTIFUL…BECAUSE WE’RE DOOMED

WE CAME AS ROMANS’ newest release is raw and thematically heavy. It is precisely crafted across 13 tracks that call for deep self-reflection. With electronic backdrops, crushing breakdowns and surprisingly theological lyrics, it stands as one of their strongest records yet.

Arriving just days before the seventh anniversary of vocalist Kyle Pavon’s passing, their seventh album carries the weight of that loss while embracing life and death with a sense of growth and forward motion. The opening intro ‘ALL IS BEAUTIFUL’ immediately sets the tone with its atmospheric design and heavy breakdowns. Fans of ‘Darkbloom’ (2022) will recognise the band’s signature blend of electronic textures and pummeling riffs.

‘bad luck’ launches with a gripping chant that commands attention and urges introspection:

“I think I think too much, yeah, I know
It's all in my head, can't let it go
Been fighting for space with all the same ghosts
Am I spinning out of control?”

Tracks like ‘lake of fire,’ ‘knowing pain,’ and ‘one by one’ push the album further, balancing lyrical vulnerability with punishing breakdowns. Dave Stephens’ seamless shift between melodic vocals and unrestrained screams showcases his range and control.

‘culture wound’ serves as a crossroad, reflecting on human contradiction and the endless cycles we repeat. Its mid-song breakdown is a bass-heavy, drum-driven onslaught built for headbanging.

‘where did you go’ is the emotional centerpiece of the album. Its lyrics are a heart-wrenching exploration of loss and yearning:

“Where did you go when you disappeared?
Wasted our better years
Are you happy now?
’Cause you're gone like a shallow breath
Now that there's nothing left
Did you find yourself?”

Its haunting chorus lingers long after the track ends, marking it as one of the band’s best songs to date.

True to metalcore traditions, songs like ‘no rest for the dreamer,’ ‘red smoke’ and ‘so lost’ deliver adrenaline-fueled riffs and devastating breakdowns. The latter, ‘bt2m,’ stands out with one of the heaviest basslines in the album. With its intricate electronic layers and a crushing doomcore outro it is arguably surpassing even the intensity of ‘Darkbloom’.

‘BECAUSE WE’RE DOOMED’ brings the album full circle, tying its many themes together in a powerful call-and-response. The album showcases the band’s unique blend of sound and vision, layering intensity with reflection. By closing on a note that loops seamlessly back to the intro, it creates a sense of continuity and rebirth, urging the listener to start the journey again. With this release, WE CAME AS ROMANS proves that metalcore is more than sheer aggression. It becomes a reflective art form, one that thrives on both heaviness and vulnerability. The album demands a full listen from start to finish, leaving listeners with open-ended questions and a compulsion to hit repeat.

In the end — all is beautiful… because we are doomed.