Understanding What We've Grown to Be | ||||
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Studio album by We Came as Romans | ||||
Released | September 13, 2011 | |||
Recorded | February 16–March 10, 2011, May 16–June 23, 2011 at The Foundation Recording Studios, Connersville, Indiana | |||
Genre | Metalcore, post-hardcore | |||
Length |
47:34 (Original release) 59:46 (Deluxe Edition) |
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Label |
Equal Vision (North America) Nuclear Blast (Europe) We Are Unified (Australia) |
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Producer |
Joey Sturgis John Feldmann (Tracks 1, 2, mixed/mastered 3) Machine (Tracks 3 production of Deluxe Edition) |
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We Came as Romans chronology | ||||
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Singles from Understanding What We've Grown to Be | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AbsolutePunk | 60% |
Allmusic | |
Alternative Press | |
Alter the Press! | |
Bring On Mixed Reviews | (3.75/5) |
Rockfreaks.net | |
Stitched Sound | |
Under The Gun Review | 9/10 |
Understanding What We've Grown to Be is the second studio album by We Came as Romans. It was released on September 13, 2011 through Equal Vision Records. It debuted and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 the following week, as well as peaking at number 5, 7, and 10 on the Hard Rock, Independent, and Rock Album charts.
The album's first single, "Mis//Understanding", was available for streaming prior to the album's release, and was released for digital download on July 5, 2011 along with the title track "Understanding What We've Grown to Be".
On April 9, 2013 the album was reissued in a deluxe physical edition, featuring their three most recent singles 'Hope', 'The King of Silence',' and 'Let These Words Last Forever' as well as a DVD of tour footage, interviews and live performance segments.
Understanding What We've Grown to Be was recorded during two sessions, the first being from February 16 through March 10, 2011, and the second being from May 16 through June 23, 2011. On June 22, the first single "Mis//Understanding" surfaced through Equal Vision' official YouTube channel. A day later, the title track was also released for free listening. "Mis//Understanding" was released as an official single on iTunes on July 5, 2011, which included "Understanding What We've Grown To Be" as a bonus track. On July 14, 2011, the album's cover art was released via puzzle on the band's homepage. By August 2011, the record's production was completed and distribution began shortly. On August 22, 2011, the length of each song was announced.
According to Equal Vision, "musically and lyrically, Understanding What We've Grown to Be holds a much darker tone than their previous release, To Plant a Seed. While still maintaining the band’s overall theme of positivity and brotherhood, the new material takes on a more straightforward approach to life’s struggles and the challenges of growing up."
The lyrics follow a sort of 'dark to light' theme as the album goes on. "We, as a band, discovered a lot of negativity in our lifestyle that we hadn't truly realized or noticed in the past and this CD is a lot about dealing with that and coping when things turn out the opposite of how you'd imagined they would."