In August of last year, We Came As Romans suffered the death of clean singer Kyle Pavone. The band regrouped on the road, vowing that no singer will stand in his place and now they've released two new songs — "Carry the Weight" and "From the First Note" — which are the band's first since Pavone's death. Listen to them both at the bottom of the page.

"When Kyle passed away, it changed everything for us personally and, as a byproduct, everything for the band," said guitarist Joshua Moore. "An earth-shattering event puts a lot of things in perspective. We’ve spent so much time together. We’ve been doing this since we were kids. The one thing that won’t change is the way Kyle affected my life," he continued, looking back, "Before we were bandmates, we were essentially brothers. In order to be genuine to our fans and ourselves, we had to write about what we dealt with losing him. At the same time, this isn’t just a bunch of songs soaking in depression. We want to celebrate what we built."

To engage the recording process, We Came As Romans turned to two familiars: longtime collaborator Nick Sampson and producer Drew Fulk, who helmed the band's 2017 full length, Cold Like War.

"Nick has been part of the family forever, because he was an engineer on our first record,” Moore went on. "We also had to involve Drew. He produced Cold Like War, and it was Kyle’s favorite record. It felt like it needed to happen, since that was the last great memory Kyle made with us. Everyone was a big part of the process."

The group focused on pushing onward, both musically and personally. "We’ve always been melodically driven, but we wanted to push it to the next level," Moore said of the music before reflecting on the trying times of We Came As Romans' first tour with Pavone.

"When we went back on the road, it was the worst month of my life," the guitarist affirmed. Detailing the emotional toll, he remembered, "No one could make it through a set without bawling our eyes out. It’s about moving forward—not moving on. Everyone knew we were dealing with it. Every emotion skyrocketed. It was this awkward limbo. It’s the most grief any of us have ever dealt with. We toured, so we could all be together every day through the grief. We dealt with it as a unit in remembrance of him."

The resistance to recruit a replacement singer also proved to be a lyrical inspiration for the new track "From the First Note." Moore opened up, "We’re allowed to be angry and upset, but we’re also allowed to be happy we had those memories. Kyle was able to find hilarity and fun in the shittiest of situations. One of my favorite images is him riding a raft during Warped Tour with his microphone. We’re looking back on everything fondly."

While fans will inevitably miss Pavone's presence, the band is still hoping that this material will bore its way into their hearts just the same. "I’d love for fans to say this is the best We Came As Romans they’ve ever heard,” expressed an optimistic Moore. "The goal is always to be the best version of our band. Hopefully, they see the emotion, care, and effort that went into these. Hopefully, it can speak to them missing Kyle in whatever process of remembrance they’re going through. We’re never going to be the same. There’s no way for us to be the same, but we’re going to try to move forward in a way that honors him and what he loved doing most."

Read the lyrics to both songs beneath the videos.

We Came As Romans, "Carry the Weight"

We Came As Romans, "From the First Note"

Lyrics to "Carry the Weight"

Carry the weight, broken and chained

All of my suffering on display.

Is there solace in the struggle? Grief, and open wound never healing.

Brought to my knees, left with an echoing feeling.

So tell me, is this it?

Is misery all that I'm left with?

Just tell me, is this it?

Can I get up or should I give in? I carry the weight.

Carry the weight, broken and chained

All of my suffering on display, every day

Is there solace in the struggle?

Carry the weight, broken and chained

Closing my eyes I see your face, every day.

Is there solace in the struggle? As I'm surrounded by my grief, brought to my knees, Unending pain, it fills the void that's inside my heart

Leaving an emptiness in its wake.

And since the moment that you departed.

I've carried the weight. Carry the weight, broken and chained

All of my suffering on display, every day

Is there solace in the struggle?

Carry the weight, broken and chained

Closing my eyes I see your face, every day.

Is there solace in the struggle? Through the blinding pain, you will be our sight.

In our darkest days, we will find your light.

Lyrics to "From the First Note"

Take me back, I wanna remember

I wanna go back to the days, undiscovered.

Our hearts held inside our hands,

And the world in front of us. Because I wanna remember,

The way that we lived and who we were

I wanna remember who we are. I won't forget the memories, I know.

You'll always be a part of me, and

Every way you changed me still shines through

You're the light that I follow home.

Every way you changed me still shines through,

I can't replace you. I wanna go back, just to say, just to tell you

That your home is in my heart

And you'll always live in us I won't forget the memories, I know.

You'll always be a part of me, and

Every way you changed me still shines through

You're the light that I follow home.

Every way you changed me still shines through,

I can't replace you. All the words you sang, we sing them back for you...

From the first note.

In every step we take, we carry on for you. And all the words you sang,Â

We sing them back for you

From the first note.

The first note that was ever sang.