Album Review: August Burns Red-Found in Far Away Places

In the world of metalcore, August Burns Red is an anomaly. While a majority of the bands they came up with in the mid 2000's have either disbanded (The Chariot), abandoned the genre entirely (All That Remains) or lost the bite they once had (Parkway Drive), August Burns Red have continued to push themselves musically and showed significant growth on each release they put out. The Pennsylvania-based quintet have soared to new heights on their sixth LP Found in Far Away Places, which is easily the most layered and complete record they've released to-date.

While August Burns Red has never been an act to release by-the-numbers metalcore, the sheer complexity of Found in Far Away Places is still pretty surprising. It's clear that the band wanted to push the boundaries of what they are capable of musically and it resulted in an album that is absolutely remarkable from start to finish. Driving the album's epic sound is the pitch-perfect tempo shifts that highlights ABR's knack for varied riffs and conveying genuine emotion through their music. Guitarist J.B. Brubaker continues to show his creativity and ever-improving technicality with the array of intricate melodies and winding solos he throws down on this his record. Brubaker's unique blend of multi-tempo riffing shines particularly bright on "Identity", "Blackwood" and "Broken Promises", which are without question amongst the most exhilarating and beautiful August Burns Red songs has ever made. While Brubaker's guitarwork is crucial to creating the album's massive sound, vocalist Jake Luhrs is still the most vital element to their success as a band. The emotion that goes into his performance is staggering (his work on "Separating the Seas" and the aforementioned "Blackwood" are particularly strong) and the range and power of his vocals continue to get exponentially better as the years go on. Found in Far Away Places is an instant metalcore classic that makes a very strong early case for the title of best album of 2015 and reaffirms August Burns Red's place as one of the genre's most consistent and forward-thinking acts.
    
4.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Broken Promises
2.Separating the Seas
3.Blackwood