The American band Erra established themselves, over the 2010s, as a reference in progressive metalcore tinged with djent. Originating from Birmingham, Alabama, the outfit built their reputation on an irreproachable technicality and a keen melodic sense, inherited from the scene embodied by bands like Periphery. Cure extends this quest for a metalcore at once powerful and refined.
The critics hail the record (a 79 average across six reviews), underlining the precision of a goldsmith’s writing. In Erra, each riff is chiselled, each transition considered, each melody carefully placed. The band handle with brio the contrast between the syncopated rhythms of djent and the breadth of the choruses, carried by Jesse Cash’s clean voice and JT Cavey’s growl.
Musically, Cure impresses by its mastery and coherence. The limpid, spacious production showcases the interweaving of the guitars, while the compositions arrange atmospheric breaths that air out the whole. This is a record of fine technical standing, executed with flawless professionalism.
This mastery has its reverse, however: by dint of perfection, the album sometimes lacks asperities, that grain of the unexpected which distinguishes the great record from the excellent stylistic exercise. Erra master their formula so well that they forget to jolt it, and the listener admires more than they are moved. Craft, here, prevails a little over emotion.
Verdict: 8/10. A technically irreproachable, prettily melodic record confirming Erra among the masters of the genre. An artisan’s success, in search of an added soul.
