We Are the Romans

We Are the Romans
Studio album by Botch
Released	November 1999[1]
Recorded	June 29 – July 8, 1999
Genre	Mathcore
Length	52:35
Label	Hydra Head (HH666-41)
Producer	Matt Bayles, Botch
Botch chronology
American Nervoso (1998) We Are the Romans (1999) An Anthology of Dead Ends (2002)

We Are the Romans is the second and final studio album by the American band Botch. It was originally released in November 1999 through Hydra Head Records,^[1] and a remastered two disc edition was later released on September 11, 2007.^[2] A Hydra Head repressing of the vinyl was released on October 25, 2011.^[3] The repress sold out on pre-order in under 20 minutes.^[4]

"C. Thomas Howell as the 'Soul Man'" has been described by the band as satirizing Racetraitor and "other bands with these very lofty political ideals that seemed like more a marketing tool for the genre of political hardcore rather than a sincere agenda" (Brian Cook).^[5] Bassist Brian Cook, who determined many of the song titles, credits J. G. Ballard's book The Atrocity Exhibition as inspiring themes of "the human body as a landscape, and the way that culture and environment sort of dictates the human body and vice versa."^[5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Drowned in Sound	10/10[7]
Exclaim!	favorable[8]
Punknews.org	[9]
Stylus Magazine	B+[10]
Sputnikmusic	4.5/5[11]

The album had achieved critical reception and would later become an influential work of music on the latter movements of mathcore and metalcore.

Track listing

All songs written and arranged by Botch.^[12]

1. "To Our Friends in the Great White North" – 5:10
2. "Mondrian Was a Liar" – 2:41
3. "Transitions from Persona to Object" – 6:04
4. "Swimming the Channel Vs. Driving the Chunnel" – 4:30
5. "C. Thomas Howell as the 'Soul Man'" – 4:44
6. "Saint Matthew Returns to the Womb" – 3:04
7. "Frequency Ass Bandit" – 4:26
8. "I Wanna Be a Sex Symbol on My Own Terms" – 3:35
9. "Man the Ramparts" – 10:50
10. "Thank God For Worker Bees (Remix)" (hidden track) – 7:27

Remaster bonus disc

No.	Song title (working titles in italics)[12]	Notes[12]	Time
1.	"To Our Friends in the Great White North" (demo) "Canada Song" or "Tasting Like a Hot Lunch in Amsterdam"	We Are the Romans demos Recorded live on Digital Audio Tape by Matt Bayles at Studio Litho May 31, 1999	5:17
2.	"I Wanna Be a Sex Symbol on My Own Terms" (demo) "Latin Song"		3:41
3.	"Transitions from Persona to Object" (demo) "Circus Song" or "Saturn Aligned with Mars"		6:34
4.	"Mondrian Was a Liar" (demo) "Bam Bam and Other Assorted Onamonapeia"		3:02
5.	"Saint Matthew Returns to the Womb" (demo) "F.I.M.D (Top Secret! Don't Ask!)"		3:21
6.	"C. Thomas Howell as the 'Soul Man'" (demo) "C. Thomas Howell as the 'Soul Man'"		4:25
7.	"Man the Ramparts" (demo) "Man the Ramparts for There Are Fair Maidens Aplenty"		6:33
8.	"Saint Matthew Returns To The Womb" (live)	Live in Seattle April 21, 2001 at Graceland	4:20
9.	"Vietmam" (live)		3:13
10.	"Transitions from Persona to Object" (live)	Live in France November 11, 1999	6:01
11.	"Hutton's Great Heat Engine" (live)		6:19

Credits

Writing, performance and production credits are adapted from the album liner notes.^[12]

Personnel

Botch

• Dave Verellen – vocals
• Dave Knudson – guitar
• Brian Cook – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Tim Latona – drums

Addititonal musicians

• Sylvia Hehl – vocals on "Man the Ramparts"
• Logic Probe – manipulation, arrangemant of "Thank God for Worker Bees"
  • DuROC
  • Colossus

Production

• Botch – production
• Matt Bayles – production, recording, mixing
• Ed Brooks – remastering
• Jeff Rigourd – live recording of "Vietmam" and "Hutton's Great Heat Engine"

Visual art

• Carrie Whitney – photography
• Jason Hellmann – photography (live)
• Dave Knudson – art direction, design
• John Pettibone – lights

Locations

Studios

• Studio Litho – recording (May 31, 1999 (demos), June 29 – July 8, 1999)
• Avast – mixing (July 11–15, 1999)
• RFI Mastering – remastering (June 5, 2007)

Venues

• Graceland, Seattle, WA, USA – live recording of "Saint Matthew Returns to the Womb" and "Transitions from Persona to Object"
• unknown venue, Rennes, France – live recording of "Vietmam" and "Hutton's Great Heat Engine"

References

1. Simons, Stephanie (October 29, 1999). "Preview: Lakewood's Botch band will help close Rkcndy all-ages club". The News Tribune (Tacoma: The McClatchy Company). p. SL19. ISSN 1073-5860.
2. "Botch - We Are The Romans [Deluxe]". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
3. "BOTCH - We Are the Romans 2xLP repress". Hydra Head Records. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
4. "BOTCH - We Are the Romans 2xLP SOLD OUT". Hydra Head Records. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
5. J. Bennett, "Fallen Empire", Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces, Albert Mudrian, ed., Da Capo Press, p. 322.
6. York, William. We Are the Romans - Botch at AllMusic
7. Diver, Mike (April 1, 2005). "Album Review: Botch - We Are The Romans". drownedinsound.com. Drowned in Sound. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
8. Sutherland, Sam (September 19, 2007). "Botch We Are The Romans: Deluxe Edition". exclaim.ca. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
9. Shultz, Brian (September 28, 2007). "Botch - We Are the Romans [reissue]". www.punknews.org. Punknews.org. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
10. Charity, Al (September 1, 2003). "Botch - We Are The Romans - Review". www.stylusmagazine.com. Stylus Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
11. Flatley, Ryan (March 21, 2007). "Botch - We Are the Romans (album review 5)". www.sputnikmusic.com. Sputnikmusic. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
12. We Are the Romans [Remaster] (CD booklet). Botch. Hydra Head Records. 2007. HH666–141.

External links

• We Are the Romans at AllMusic