SINGLE REVIEW: Erra - Snowblood
Written by JD Walker
If you’ve kept up with the progressive metalcore and djent scenes over the past few years, you’re likely familiar with Erra. They smashed onto the scene in late 2011 with Impulse and solidified their legendary sound with their sophomore album, Augment. After Augment came a vocalist change and the EP Moments of Clarity before recruiting JT Cavey of Texas in July for their new sound featured in Drift and their most recent album, Neon. The band saw success with both Drift and Neon, embarking on a tour with the Australian group Northlane before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the music industry to a screeching halt. The circumstances haven’t stopped Erra, as they’ve returned with a banger in “Snowblood”.
“Snowblood” begins with a synth intro reminiscent of the soundtrack to the popular Netflix show Stranger Things. The band wastes no time bringing in the insane riffage that they’re known for - they combined elements from Neon while alluding to their earlier sound that created one insane, driving, and awesome song. The fast paced video utilizes computer-generated imagery as well as practical effects, and the color scheme of black/red/yellow keeps the viewer on their toes for the entirety of the song.
“Snowblood” has everything you could ever hope for in an Erra song - soaring melodies, crushing rhythms, great variation in vocals between Cavey and lead guitarist/clean vocalist Jesse Cash, harmonic textures from rhythm guitarist Sean Price, and as tight of a rhythm section as you’ll ever hear between bassist Connor Hesse and drummer Alex Ballew. No Erra song would be complete without a signature solo from Cash which was right on the money (pun slightly intended). This song stays true to their established sound while pushing the limits of musicianship to create one unforgettable single.
Erra has returned, and the music scene is better for it. “Snowblood” was truly a return to form for the band, but don’t call it a comeback. The track fits nicely in their pristine discography and may go down as one of the best songs of 2020, if not the best. Erra continues to set the benchmark for musicianship, songwriting ability, and creativity among progressive metalcore bands and “Snowblood” reaffirms that.