Music Review: August Burns Red, Rescue & Restore

August Burns Red has never been a band to stick with the same old thing. Each record, they continue to push themselves and step outside what most would consider straight, standard metalcore. Rescue & Restore, the band’s fifth full-length album, continues this trend, and pushes the genre even further than they have before. It’s always a pleasure to see what these Lancaster, Pennsylvania natives have up their sleeves.

The record kicks off some monster tracks, ones that feature more brutality than most people might be used to from August Burns Red. “Treatment” is literally an onslaught of heavy drums and quick guitar work, and features even more raw screams from vocalist Jake Luhrs. In fact, the entire album features a grittier, more in your face emotion from Luhrs, which is I’m sure to be welcomed by fans, as it adds a deeper element to the songs on R&R. The track also features what some could say is a standard breakdown for the band lately, with a soft build up before the chaos returns. The bridge features some of the fastest speed metal ever heard from ABR, and JB Brubaker returns with some beautiful guitar licks over the finale. Suffice to say, “Treatment” might be a defining moment for the band.

“Provision” is sure to be a fan favorite, and it speaks of the blessings God provides and how we must always be thankful for them, even when they are small. It again features more deep, gutteral screams from Luhrs, similar to the album’s second single, “Spirit Breaker”. The latter track also features some deep guitar focused over the intense screams, before a spoken word moment comes in. While I appreciate the words and the imagery portrayed through the lyrics, I don’t feel the quiet moments on R&R work as well as the they did  on Leveler. Profound and meaningful, but some emotion is left out when the words are simply said, rather than delivered by Luhrs. “Count It All As Lost” finds ABR more chaotic than ever, and possibly as tight as Messengers, which will find many fans rejoicing. Fierce screams from Luhrs are layered intricately and the content takes ABR to a place they’ve never been before, a place of ambition and growth.

Rescue & Restore is ABR more creative and innovative than ever before.

I am going on record and saying that, while some tracks on Leveler, Constellations, and especially Messengers were heavier and better than what’s featured on R&R, “Sincerity” might be the best song they’ve ever recorded. The frenetic guitars, pulsing drum tracks, and signature screams lead to a gang-vocal laden bridge, with some of the most beautiful lyrics: “What we say / is not what we believe / We believe / He will remain”. And in true recent ABR fashion, we are treated to an instrumental halfway through the record. “Creative Captivity” features some great work from the band, but feels slightly out of place, particularly with odd instrumentation from various pieces, and almost unintelligible screams (a first for the band), until the end. They’re just drowned out by the music for the most part, which isn’t in the band’s nature. 

“Fault Line” is similar to “Sincerity”, with its gang vocals and crowd moments, and again features some super fast speed for ABR. It’s certainly been recorded for a great live show memory. “Animals” and “Echoes” are so chaotic and frenzied, its hard to put into words, what with bass-laden breakdowns and fierce drums assaulting the senses. I’m always amazed to see how heavy ABR can take things, and each time they prove to be more melodic, but heavier at the same time. That being said, Rescue & Restore is another fine addition to August Burns Red’s already impressive discography, and is very welcomed after they teased us with the instrumental Christmas album last year. It’s refreshing to see a band continue to redefine themselves, record after record.

What are your thoughts on the new August Burns Red album? Comment, tweet, and mention us on Facebook! We want to hear your thoughts! @discoverysess and Facebook.com/discoverysessionsnet.