Review: August Burns Red
Band: August Burns Red
Album: Constellations
Label: Solid State Records
Release Date: 7/14
Genre: Metal
5/5
by: Shane Stiles
Metal and hardcore bands have always been striving to find that perfect sound, that exact balance of the three major components that make up their sound these days: guitar riffage, breakdown style heaviness, and melody. Pennsylvania’s August Burns Red has found that spot, sitting triangulated between the three pillars. Their newest full length record Constellations is easily the best thing they’ve ever recorded.
Since getting started in the hardcore scene about a decade ago, I’ve sought out bands like this, as complex and heavy as the early German tech metal bands but as sweeping and fluid as you would expect from Killswitch Engage. It’s these aspects that make August Burns Red good, but what makes them five star worthy? Combining obliterating jams with intelligible lyrics, August Burns Red appeals to all crowds. With cornerstones on their album like “White Washed” and “The Escape Artist”, they’ve locked up a place for this record in hardcore history. The dual guitar attack of JB Brubaker and Brent Rambler packaged with the drumming of Matthew Greiner creates a platform on which vocalist Jake Luhrs screams for the mountaintops. Constellations is exactly what a metal album is supposed to sound like.
Let’s revisit the lyrical aspect of their record for a moment. From the label, you can decipher that August Burns Red is a christian band. What you may not know right off of the bat is that they’re not a very “preachy” christian band. Yes, they hit on many subjects influenced by their religion, which is awesome, but their choice of words and phrasing makes the band more acceptable to non-christian listeners. This is a blessing in and of itself. Lines like “Pick and choose based on a face, but it’s all in the heart that carries weight” are valuable lessons that everyone could stand to learn. Even if the record wasn’t as good, this would make up for it. But thankfully, August Burns Red’s Constellations is one of the best albums released by Solid State Records in some time.
Track Listing:
1. Thirty And Seven
2. Existence
3. Ocean Of Apathy
4. White Washed
5. Marianas Trench
6. The Escape Artist
7. Indonesia
8. Paradox
9. Meridian
10. Rationalist
11. Meddler
12. Crusades
