Metal Band of the Week:

August Burns Red

August 1, 2009 by Kyle Brady
Tags: "August Burns Red", Band, Metal, Music, Review
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August Burns Red is not a new band, having formed in 2003, but have finally reached what could be described as their sound with the release of “Constellations” on July 14th, 2009, which is a pleasing mix of their two previous efforts (“Thrill Seeker” and “Messengers”) and a more diverse musical approach.

Their two prior major releases were decidedly metalcore, stringently clinging to the formula across two separate vocalists, and were largely just another band in the crowd – albeit an interesting one.  But in December of 2008, hints that the band were changing directions were found in the release of “Carol of the Bells”, a Christmas-themed instrumental which they interpreted in a surprisingly brutal manner.

“Constellations”, however, has proven to be a game-changer for the band in terms of popular perception:  the album is heavier, more varied in structure, and more technical than their previous releases – the influence of bands such as Between the Buried and Me is highly visible.  Even more importantly, August Burns Red has strayed from the metalcore formula, experimenting with black metal, jazz, guitar solos, and progressive elements throughout the 47-minute release, resulting in a more entertaining, solid, and epic listener experience for such a well-structured sonic assault.

It may have taken six years, but August Burns Red appears ready to become a force entirely in their own right, no longer taking refuge in the arms of the metalcore moniker.  Their fanbase has grown over the years via heavy touring with others in the metalcore genre, and is fairly loyal – but this expansion into the realm of genre fusion is likely to garner them the larger attention for which they are absolutely due.

August Burns Red can be found on MySpace and on their current headlining tour; their new album “Constellations” is available on Amazon [CD] [MP3], along with their previous releases “Messengers” [CD] [MP3] and “Thrill Seeker” [CD] [MP3].

"Metal Band of the Week" is a weekly series, published on Saturdays, showcasing metal bands that get less attention than they deserve.
Kyle can be found on Twitter and MySpace, or reached via email.