August Burns Red

Found In Far Away Places

Written by: MBC on 01/10/2015 22:12:37

For more than a decade Pennsylvania-based metalcore titans August Burns Red have been at the forefront of popular American metal with the release of one amazing album after another. Albums such as “Messengers”, “Constellations” and “Rescue & Restore” show the band constantly evolving and pushing the boundaries of the genre, while staying true to a signature sound. With so many of their original metalcore/NWOAHM peers not having been able to endure, August Burns Red have become leaders and standard bearers for modern American metal. Having recently signed to Fearless Records, “Found In Far Away Places” is the band’s first album on the label which will undoubtedly prove to be another big success.

An ABR record always has a distinctive crisp sound and a style that combines supreme technique and melody, and in many ways this is a typical ABR album with all the tremendous elements which that entails. But the band is not afraid to take chances and venture into new musical areas to further expand and improve upon its song writing, which this album proves several times as well. At various times throughout the album, ABR surprise the listener with unforeseen moments such as a string based part with a Balkan vibe on “Separating The Seas”, a bouncy country/western part on “Majoring In The Minors” and the epic prog rock approach on “Broken Promises”. These are all moments that keep the listener enticed while listening through the album, and it is a thrill to be surprised again and again by the band’s ambition and how they manage to make everything flow so well together.

Guitarists JB Brubaker and Brent Rambler still play awesome fast paced riffs and solos that are equally technical and melodic without ever losing the hard edge that is always present in ABR’s music. Matt Greiner once again proves that he is an elite drummer with an amazing understanding of using different techniques and the switching of time signatures to create songs of various tempos. In front is of course the incomparable Jake Luhrs who pulls off another stunning performance with his unique vocal delivery based on a combination of technique and emotion. Not only can he scream at various pitches ranging from lows to very highs, but he does so with an incredible amount of conviction. People knowledgeable of his charity work outside of the band, such as the HeartSupport foundation, will know that he puts a lot of time and effort into this as well. That same dedication comes through in his heartfelt lyrics that strike a powerful connection with the listener. Check out for instance this excerpt from “Everlasting Ending”:

“It's in the struggle that we can finally see. I'll never forget how I felt so far away

when fear waged war and wore down on me. Bravery will find you when your head is hung low. Your fear is like a fever, it too will go.”

August Burns Red is an example of a band with supreme musical skills and a tremendous passion and dedication to its audience that continues to expand its song writing while staying true to its core sound. “Found In Far Away Places” is one of the most dynamic and surprising albums of the band’s career and is obviously a must-have for fans of the band, but newcomers are certainly encouraged to join in as well.

Download: The Wake, Martyr, Separating The Seas, Majoring In The Minors, Everlasting Ending, Broken Promises, Blackwood
For the fans of: Unearth, Architects, As I Lay Dying, Oh Sleeper, Between The Buried And Me
Listen: Facebook

Release date 29.06.2015
Fearless Records

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