Interview by Kris Peters
Much has changed with Michigan metalcore outfit We Came As Romans since their last visit to Australian shores seven years ago.
The band were thrown into turmoil - both personally and musically - following the tragic loss of co-vocalist and keyboardist Kyle Pavone in 2018. The invariable questions of continuing in the wake of a personal loss of this magnitude took some time to digest, but the decision was made to honour Pavone's memory by not only continuing his musical legacy in the band, but also by pouring their grief and feelings into what would become We Came As Romans' fifth studio album Darkbloom.
A sonic portrait of finding light in the darkness, Darkbloom harnessed the sum of all that came before while also thrusting the band into an unknown future full of renewed hope.
The album was a resounding success and a fitting tribute to love and loss that has seen We Came As Romans channel their pain into the very thing that brought them together in the first place.
The music.
We Came As Romans hit Australia for a run of four shows from late next month, with lead vocalist Dave Stephens joining HEAVY from the road in the US to share his excitement.
"We're on tour right now, so I guess I'll just throw my suitcase on the plane and be good to go," he laughed. "We're ready and excited. We love touring Australia."
We ask Stephens what Australian fans can expect from the band after a prolonged absence.
"We'll be playing a bunch of new stuff," he promised. "We've got a long set, so we will throw in some old ones along the way and some classics. It's been a long time since we've been to Australia, so we will make sure we play a bit of everything."
In the full interview we discuss the obvious changes in the band since their last tour, honouring Kyle through music, the overwhelming reception to Darkbloom and how it impacted the band, a new era of music for We Came As Romans, bringing Invent Animate with them for their first Australian tour, the early days of We Came As Romans, how their vision has changed over the years and more.