We Came As Romans and left average

Screamo music is generally an acquired taste.

As a friend of mine says, "You either hate it or it's the only thing you listen to."

If this is the rule, then the band We Came As Romans is an exception.

This band from Troy, Mich. released their second album entitled, "Understanding What We've Grown to Be" Sept. 13. The band has been facing a major upswing this year, as they performed for the entirety of the Vans Warped Tour and headlined Scream It Like You Mean It European Tour.

The album opens with "Mis//Understanding", a slightly melancholy song with edge provided by screaming interludes. These sets up the sound for the rest of the album, making it feel repetitive at times.

Songs like "What I Wished I Never Had" are livelier and help to break up the gloomy atmosphere. The album doesn't entirely pick up until almost the end. The songs "What My Heart Held," "I Can't Make Your Decisions For You" and the title track are the highlight of the album.

Instead of filling the songs with guitar riffs, the drummer has the most creative lines in the music. The songs seem to be rhythmically-driven rather than melodically inventive.

Also, this album seems to be geared toward audio effects, especially reverb. These effects work mostly to the group's advantage, but sometimes the songs sound hazy and over-processed.

According to their website, the band is very proud of their lyrics. They lean toward an upbeat message, something that is more evident in their first album, "To Plant a Seed." While the lyrics are decently inventive, this album sounds like the band is trying to stay true to their happy roots but is struggling with inner-turmoil.

Overall, "Understanding What We've Grown to Be" is an interesting, but unimpressive album. It is an average album with average lyrics and average chord changes. I don't stress purchasing this album, but if you would like to see the best of We Came As Romans, I suggest you check out "To Plant a Seed." They might have arrived as Romans, but they left something to be desired.

"Understanding What We've Grown to Be" is available nationwide in stores like Hot Topic, Best Buy and FYE, as well as online at the band's website www.wecameasromans.com.