Review Summary: The Absolute is by-the-numbers, but it’s a strong by-the-numbers.
Ace Augustine owes a lot to both August Burns Red and As I Lay Dying for paving the way for a paradoxical yet enjoyable genre: Christian metalcore. These were two of the first bands who made this screaming, thrashing brand of metal acceptable to the Christian community, and young Christian teenagers. Ace Augustine also owes them because of the acclaim and attention both groups have received as crossover bands into the world of secular music, so non-Christian music listeners can enjoy them too. In fact, without these two bands, Ace Augustine probably wouldn’t exist.
In fact, the album blends the technicality of recent ABR and AILD with the brutality of Messengers-era ABR. Resilience is the word used best to describe this record. Not only will the band totally stay strong in their faith, they also have put effort into this record to be heard and accepted as more than clones of more popular bands. It’s this apparent effort and hard work that saves the band from falling into mediocrity and being forgotten, and without said work ethic, the group could be very forgettable. However, there’s no denying the energy and passion that literally bleeds from this album, and the guys know how to craft high-energy music that makes you want to mosh and scream along. One of the assets of this hard work is in vocalist Ben Moser, and though his mid-range yells and screams are generic, he sounds vicious and righteously angry. Another is lead guitarist Brian Fellenbaum. Though he doesn’t solo beautifully, he refuses to simply do more than chugging, instead crafting some considerable mini-solos. Finally, the guys know how to write a strong breakdown (check the end of “Jonah Spoke of Innocence”).
“Justifiers” is a hard-hitting, scream-wracked opener that’s about average time and fast-paced. The soloing throughout and even some of the open-guitar chugging is a highlight, as well as the fast-paced and enjoyable drumming from Doug Fellenbuam. “Jonah Spoke of Innocence” has a Maylene And The Sons of Disaster-esque breakdown towards the end, as well as another superb drum delivery. Indeed, Doug may be the strongest member of the band, and he proves it again in songs like “Senior Year At Sky City” and “Negotiations”. The latter of which has another enjoyable breakdown and a passionate bridge that blends high-pitched cleans with emotion-wracked cleans, as well as a Between The Buried And Me-esque solo at the end that is actually performed quite well. For those that enjoy clean vocals a little more than screams, look no further than “Delorean”, as it may have the strongest clean vocals all record, as well as brilliant interplay between both guitarists throughout.
Both Jesus and God are mentioned by name and cried out to in songs like “Justifiers” and “2013 Looks Promising”, while “Delorean” deals with the downfall of hypocrites. “Jonah Spoke of Innocence” talks about the ever-present battle with lust, and a topic relatable to believers and non-believers alike. However, AA never reaches “preachy” to the point of a band like For Today, so fear not in that department.
The Absolute is by-the-numbers, but it’s a strong by-the-numbers. They are a better band in the Christian metalcore scene, and with a little maturity and individuality, they could be great. Keep your eyes on Ace Augustine.
