We Came As Romans – All Is Beautiful… Because We’re Doomed: Circularity – A Journey Through Life, Death and Rebirth

Review by Glen Parkes

With All Is Beautiful… Because We’re Doomed: Circularity, We Came As Romans take circularity and turn it into the very foundation of a 23-track release. Arriving on November 6th via SharpTone Records, this expanded collection is far more than a handful of bonus tracks bolted onto the 2025 album. It adds another chapter to its story, reshaping the journey through life, death, loss and the possibility of starting again. Its strongest moments arrive when musical ideas deepen the album’s central themes.

The original record closed with “Because We’re Doomed” before opening again with “All Is Beautiful…”, creating a cycle with no obvious beginning or end. Four new songs now sit in the space between those two moments, taking the listener through the imagined afterlife before the original sequence begins. It is an ambitious idea, but one that gives the expanded album a clear purpose rather than simply extending its running time.

“When Everything Is Still” sets the scene, while “Dead Silent”, featuring Make Them Suffer, brings another voice into the darkness. The pairing gives this new chapter added urgency. “Born From Nothing” sits at the emotional centre of the project, challenging the difference between keeping busy and genuinely moving forward. Its message is direct: sometimes the hardest step is stopping, looking back honestly and deciding what cannot be carried into the next part of your life. “Speak To Exist” completes the new opening passage, turning the record towards its beginning.

The band’s strength has always been its ability to make heavy music feel personal, and that remains central here. Dave Stephens’ vocal delivery anchors the themes, while Joshua Moore and Lou Cotton provide the guitar framework, Andy Glass holds down the low end and David Puckett drives the arrangements. The result is a project built around connection as much as impact, rather than relying on spectacle alone.

The six reworked collaborations are where the concept becomes even more interesting. Rather than simply adding guest vocals to familiar recordings, We Came As Romans have invited their collaborators to reshape the material and leave a recognisable mark. Currents and After The Burial join forces on “bad luck ○”, bringing a formidable meeting of modern metalcore identities. HEAVENSGATE take on “red smoke ○”, while Rory Rodriguez of Dayseeker lends his distinctive presence to “one by one ○”. These versions give existing songs another perspective.

“Culture wound ○” is perhaps the boldest transformation. Re-recorded entirely in Spanish with Ladrones, and featuring flamenco guitar, it reaches beyond the usual boundaries of a metal collaboration. Dave Stephens learned Spanish to communicate with his wife’s Colombian family, giving the track a personal dimension beyond stylistic experimentation. Headwreck bring their personality to “where did you go? ○”, a collaboration born from friendship on the road in Australia. Meanwhile, Bury Tomorrow do more than add their name to “b2tm ○”: they contribute a completely new chorus, making this a genuine rebuild.

Across the original songs and their reimagined counterparts, the record keeps returning to its central question: what do we hold on to, and what must we leave behind? The 23-track sequence asks for time and attention, and may be more rewarding in sections for listeners who prefer a shorter, more immediate experience. The payoff comes from hearing how different artists interpret the same emotional starting point.

We Came As Romans have created something that feels connected to the original album while giving it a fresh identity. Circularity celebrates the relationships formed through music, recognising that songs change once they leave their writers. The new material adds depth to the story, and the collaborations bring welcome contrast without losing sight of the band’s own voice.

This is an imaginative expansion rather than a conventional deluxe edition. It asks listeners to revisit the past, consider the changes made along the way and then begin again. Long-time fans have plenty to explore, while modern metalcore listeners will find a substantial release. The circle closes, but We Came As Romans leave the door open for whatever comes next.

Album tracklist

1. WHEN EVERYTHING IS STILL
2. DEAD SILENT
3. BORN FROM NOTHING
4. SPEAK TO EXIST
5. ALL IS BEAUTIFUL…
6. bad luck
7. bad luck ○
8. lake of fire
9. red smoke
10. red smoke ○
11. one by one
12. one by one ○
13. culture wound
14. culture wound ○
15. where did you go?
16. where did you go? ○
17. no rest for the dreamer
18. b2tm
19. b2tm ○
20. circling a dying sun
21. knowing pain
22. so lost (burning flowers)
23. BECAUSE WE’RE DOOMED