ERRA: Album Review

It may only be June, but I’m already declaring Erra’s new self-titled album as the album of the year.

Released on March 19th, this is their 5th full-length studio album, and their first album under their new label, UNFD. And it’s arguably their best one yet. This album is powerful, and it hits hard in the best possible way. Everything about it, from the vocals, to the guitar work, to the songwriting, is next level. It’s clear that everyone involved gave it their all, because the authenticity is strong with this one.

Erra have always managed to stay true to their core sound while continuing to improve and elaborate on it with every new release, and this self-titled record is no exception. But this album brings even more variety and versatility than their past albums.

But what I really think makes this album so unique is its purity.

The band has stated that there was a sense of purity in this album. They’ve admitted that they’ve gotten caught up in people’s expectations, as well as their own, when writing past albums. With this album, they abandoned all expectations from themselves and others and let the music become what it wanted to.

They allowed the music to bloom into the best it could possibly be, and it shows.

It’s resulted in an album made up entirely of solid songs full of new experimental sounds and concepts, and a new level of heaviness and intensity. It’s one huge flex, like the musical equivalent of “New phone, who dis?”

No “filler tracks” here. Every song is a standout. And there’s something for any mood, whether you’re looking to cry, vent, or just jam.

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Here’s the full album, so you can listen along as you read! And you can find all the lyrics here.

Now let’s dive into each song:

Snowblood

First released in August 2020 as a single, Snowblood was one of the few bright spots of 2020.

It’s a jolt of energy: bright, intense, colorful, and fresh. Both JT’s and Jesse’s vocals are edgy, powerful, and perfectly executed as always, including a first glimpse of clean vocals from JT. The guitar work is fresh and exciting, yet still familiar and true to Erra’s core sound. By the time the guitar solo kicked in, I damn near fell out of my chair; I was not prepared for the level of heat this song would bring.

Snowblood made it clear from the first listen that something epic was coming; it set the stage for new beginnings for the band. On top of being the album opener, Snowblood was also the first single the band released off the album. And with the release came the announcement of new management, with them being signed to UNFD.

So much excitement in this one from beginning to end. It’s not only the perfect album opener, but also the perfect song to introduce this new chapter of Erra.

Gungrave

I honestly don’t know how else to describe Gungrave other than as a Machine Gun Symphony, because that’s literally what it sounds like. It’s a shining example of Erra’s newfound heaviness.

It paints a picture of a mental breakdown and being stuck in an endless cycle, particularly with the lyric:

“All that you’ve lived for comes spiraling down”

Some elements that stand out include the variation of screams from JT, the fake-out ending, and the riff at 3:12 (known simply as that riff). But one of the best parts of Gungrave is the drums. This song has some of the best, most intense drum sections on the whole album; I lose my f*cking mind at the drum breakdown at 1:08 every time. As always, Alex wrote the drums better (fellow long time Erra fans, y’all get it).

But honestly, everyone shines here. It’s a solid team effort from the whole band, making for a total mosh-fest and the perfect vent song.

Divisionary

First released in January 2021, Divisionary was the third single released off the album, and is closer to what we would typically expect from Erra sound wise: an even balance of heavy/driving and catchy/melodic.

Divisionary is fun to sing/scream along to; the guitar melodies, clean vocals, and lyrics here are some of my favorites, one of my favorite lyrics being:

“Lost and alone in a space void of color”

And it even has a bass solo!

The lyrics talk about our obsession with and dependence on technology, drawing a comparison between technology and religion. I listen to it often now to remind myself to get off my phone more often (10/10 recommend).

Divisionary ultimately showcases an exciting, vamped up version of Erra’s classic sound. It’s next level.

House of Glass

House of Glass was the second single released off the album, first released in November 2020.

My first impression of House of Glass was that it was very different from most of Erra’s past music. It was unexpectedly heavy, and a stark contrast to Snowblood. The closest thing I could equate it to was their 2014 EP, Moments of Clarity.

House of Glass not only brings back that heavier sound from MoC, but takes it in an even darker direction with a chaotic scene that perfectly expresses the chaos of 2020.

Rather than have Jesse do all the clean vocals as he has in the past, JT stepped up and filled in some of the clean vocal sections, providing a rougher, more aggressive sound that fits both this song and Erra’s overall sound perfectly.

And adding to the aggression from JT’s cleans, the heavy guitar, and drum parts is this little instrument called a theremin, creating a piercing high pitched sound that amplifies the feel of a horror show/mindf*ck.

House of Glass not only revisits, but builds on the intensity Erra have touched on in the past. And this new degree of heaviness suits them incredibly well.

Shadow Autonomous

Shadow Autonomous was first released as the fifth and final single off the album, just a week before the full album dropped.

This one gets me emotional as f*ck because it reminds me so much of their song Heart from their 2011 album, Impulse. The end section has a similar melody of screaming high notes from the guitar that never fails to pull at your heartstrings.

The music is full of constantly changing time signatures, and has a bendy chromatic section in the bridge, depicting its message of instability and unpredictability.

Shadow Autonomous is now one of my go-to vent songs. It really screams emotion, just as an emotional ballad should.

Electric Twilight

Electric Twilight is the party song of the album, and a fun contrast to all of the darker, heavier songs.

Musically, it has a lot of similarities to past tracks like Hyperreality (Neon). Yet even with the sense of familiarity, it’s one of the best examples of their new soundscape. Its descriptive lyrics and experimental, ambient sounds paint a picture of a bomb-ass trippy lightning storm.

Then came the lyric that threw everyone for a loop:

“Rubymeat, bass beat, beat to electric twilight.”

No, you didn’t read that wrong. That’s the actual lyric (I know, I thought the same thing too).

Initially, this lyric had the entire Erra fan base like “What the f*ck?” But all of the confusion was immediately cleared up when Jesse later explained that “rubymeat” is a word that Cormac McCarthy (his favorite author) uses to describe the heart (cool vocabulary like this is the reason a lot of people jokingly refer to Erra’s music as “Dictionary-core”).

All in all, Electric Twilight is a fun track, it sounds great, and it taught me a new word. It’s a win for me.

Scorpion Hymn

First released as the album’s fourth single in February 2021, Scorpion Hymn took the Erra fan base by storm.

Like House of Glass, it introduced a new level of heaviness we hadn’t heard from Erra before (it almost literally knocked me on my ass), and illustrates a chaotic scene, although in a different way.

Scorpion Hymn was the first song that Erra has released in 8 years that doesn’t have any clean vocals, giving JT the full spotlight. It’s full of epic pitch screams and gutterals, and an impressive range of high and low screams. It’s a prime example of just how expansive JT’s vocal range is.

Also, the synth intro is super vibey, and the buildup and breakdown at 1:48 is absolutely brutal.

This one slaps so hard, with enough intensity to knock you through a wall, and I’m all here for it.

Lunar Halo

For a while, I had trouble finding the words to describe Lunar Halo. And then someone in The ERRA Driftposting Group on Facebook shared this…

… and now I can’t unsee it.

Lunar Halo is basically Rainbow Road in song form.

This one has it all: heavy music, trippy ambient sounds, catchy vocals, descriptive lyrics, and fun guitar riffs. The music and lyrics together illustrate a scene of bright lights and colors, with a psychedelic feel like Electric Twilight plus a little extra heaviness.

And as it softens at the end, it transitions beautifully into…

Vanish Canvas

Vanish Canvas is another emotional ballad, and a standout among an entire album of standouts. It’s the perfect balance of heavy, emotional, and catchy; it hurts so good with its combination of intense yet uplifting music and bittersweet lyrics about a fading relationship. Exhibit A:

“Let this moment break your heart.”

It’s the kind of song you can’t help but sing along to. It’s impossible to resist, especially at…

And its melismatic, non-stop moving guitar riff at the bridge is one of my favorites off of this record. It's absolutely gorgeous and it perfectly accompanies the lyric:

“The moment hits you like a cannon blast.”

Jesse actually leaked a clip of this chorus on Instagram last year while the band was in the studio recording the album. And it was great to finally hear it in full context, with the full emotional effect of the music and lyrics together.

Simply put: Vanish Canvas wins on all fronts.

Eidolon

Eidolon is probably the most underrated track on the album. This one is entirely sung by JT, and it’s also the first song by Erra where all the lyrics are written by JT.

My first impression of Eidolon was that the lyrics felt similar in both subject and language to Expiate (Neon), which deals with a relationship that falls apart despite the best of efforts to progress it.

I love that the music goes back and forth between light, whimsical dream and heavy, intense nightmare, musically illustrating the central line:

“Lost within the dream”

It’s the perfect balance between emotional ballad and heavy banger, creating a beautifully brutal scene, musically and lyrically.

Eidolon is the perfect song for your vent playlist. Don’t sleep on this one.

Remnant

Remnant is the last heavy track on the album, and another good example of Erra’s typical sound made heavier. It’s also another track where everyone in the band shines, packing everything you could want in a heavy banger from Erra into one: a guitar solo, heavy breakdowns, some cool, noodley guitar tricks in between sections, epic screams, and iconic high clean vocals.

It has a similar heavy feel as Gungrave, but with ambient sounds like those in Electric Twilight and Lunar Halo. The ambient sounds in the guitar really counter the heaviness, making for a harmonious balance.

Remnant is musically and lyrically intense in the best way, signaling the end of the album with a bang.

Memory Fiction

Overall, Memory Fiction is the track that surprised me the most. I guess I’ve come to expect heavy album closers from Erra, like Dementia (Augment) and The Hypnotist (Drift), so I honestly expected this one to be a heavy one too. But it turned out to be surprisingly soft.

This was something else I’ve never heard from Erra before; unlike tracks like House of Glass and Scorpion Hymn, which presented a new heaviness, Memory Fiction presented a new softness. To me, it sounded like a heavier version of Ghost Atlas (Jesse’s side project). It fades in with a dissonant synth chord, followed by a soft piano melody, gradually grows in intensity, and fades out softly at the end. And it’s entirely sung by Jesse.

Also, the guitar riff at 2:08 is so gorgeous. And the best part about it is that this is how it started out:

I liked that this track ended the album on a softer note. It’s another element that sets this album apart from Erra’s previous albums. I absolutely love it.

***

And that’s the album!

Now if I may, allow me to fangirl here for a minute.

This entire album exudes pure passion, power, and authenticity; it’s a freaking masterpiece. I give every song on it a 100/10.

Over the years, through everything from member changes, to management changes, to evolutions in musical style, Erra have weathered their share of storms. They’ve always been able to roll with the punches and persevere, and they continue to consistently improve as both musicians and as human beings.

Watching them evolve over the last several years has been incredible. And now with this latest release, they’ve proven once again that they’re a force to be reckoned with.

I stand by my statement that this is already the album of the year. This one’s going to be hard to top.

Thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed this article, I’d appreciate it so much if you shared it and left a heart, a tip, and a pledge!

You can also find more insights and antics from the band in these behind the scenes videos:

Also, major props to all the fellow Erra fans in The ERRA Driftposting Group for helping me find the words to express my thoughts on this album. This review wouldn’t have been possible without y’all!