We Came As Romans

Troy, Michigan's post-hardcore unit We Came As Romans first saw the light of day as This Emergency in 2005. That same year, founders David Stephens and Joshua Moore revamped the lineup and took on the name We Came As Romans. A handful of EPs followed until 2009, when the band's first full-length, To Plant a Seed, was released. From '09 thru '10, the band toured almost constantly, jumping onto bills with everyone from NOFX and The Descendants to Equal Vision labelmates Pierce the Veil. Though they've been known for overtly positive messages in their songs from the start, W.C.A.R. do not identify themselves as a Christian band. Sonically, they employ the wall-punching thud of old-school hardcore with the expected melodic vocal parts associated with Warped Tour bands, but W.C.A.R. are also prone to swirling in strings and pianos, thanks to Moore's background as a classical musician in his high school's orchestra. The result is decidedly accessible but capable of brutality amid the hopeful lyrical subtext.