Review Summary: Not the anomaly they are hyped to be but finally breaking the mold for metalcore.
August Burns Red had a rocky start. From their bland, uninspired debut to over hyped record "Messengers", it seemed like they would fall flat on their face lost in the never ending vortex of inappropriate breakdowns and vague, overused lyrics. But they quickly stepped up their game with "Constellations" proving they aren't afraid to build upon their talents and to incorporate new sounds to break apart somewhat formulaic music.
The biggest leap would be the guitar work. Its frantic and winding, making great utility out of breakdowns to keep a perfect balance. This is something the guitar plays with a lot. Balance. Ranging from the quite somber buildup on "Meridian" to rhythmic shreds on "Mariana's Trench". It rarely fails to stand out but is never over bearing, never forcing other instruments to bask in its wake. There are times where it becomes a bit recycled and not many notes separate it from sounding like the previous tracks, notably on songs like "The Escape Artist" but thankfully these moments are few and far between.
A smaller leap would be the drumming. However, it was thankfully very good to begin with, and helped their slightly above average record "Messengers" stand out. Their is constant play with drum patterns keeping the album rejuvenated and constantly energetic, and not to mention spectacular drum fills on "Mariana's Trench" and a rapid kick start on the first track "Thirty and Seven". Out of all the instruments this sets the band aside from bland generic metalcore the most, as its never just grinding along side the vocalist and guitarist. There are rhythms that stray from the rest of the music but not so far they are lost, keeping it new and exciting.
The only fault here could be the vocalist. He's honestly not bad. He just does little to stand out. He projects his voice very well, but he has no unique feature other than having a semi-decent range. One of the more respectable aspects of the vocalist however is the way he blends in christian themes without being overbearing. "Those who survive the sword will find favor in the desert. I will build you up again, you will be rebuilt." is a line from "Meridian" from Jeremiah 31:2 which is the best example of the bands christian upbringing.
So they are certainly not the new saviors of metalcore, but they are breaking the tension. Showing metalcore holds potential and that beneath the wreckage their is musicianship and progress. They haven't peaked with it's record, but over time they would rid of the overbearing breakdowns, and the vocalist would build upon his writing rather than his sound. For now, they are simply taking their first step forward.
