Review Summary: With Rescue and Restore, August Burns Red transcend the barriers of modern music, genuinely and daringly encouraging their peers to follow in suit or be left behind.
They say that "good" music takes you somewhere. For me, ABR's new album does just that. It's an album with so many beautiful guitar melodies that I find it difficult to choose a song to call my favorite. Upon initial listens, Spirit Breaker caught my attention with the ridiculously high bends near the end of the song; bends that, for one reason or another, make me close my eyes and imagine I'm soaring through the air as if I am the bird in the lyric video ABR released for the song.
However, as beautifully written as that song is, a few more listens brought my attention to the deeper songs on the album, such as Beauty and Tragedy and Count it All as Lost. Although these songs do not have that melodic lick at the onset, each one incorporates an uplifting guitar riff a minute or two into the song to accompany an onslaught of ear-piercing vocals.
But, even with a few more listens, songs like Provision, Creative Captivity, Faultline, and Echoes all found their way to the top of my list. Rescue and Restore is an album that requires several listens before making any judgments regarding it's worth in one's collection. Many will disagree and shrug it off as nothing more than another run-of-the-mill metalcore album, but I feel that to be an injustice to the artwork that Rescue and Restore is.
Go pick it up. If you don't like it, return it. If you do, well, you're welcome.
