Album Review: Rescue & Restore by August Burns Red

Given the innocuous, almost helpful nature of its title, it's entirely possible to not be prepared for the stampede of riffs waiting to trample over you on August Burns Red's sixth album, Rescue & Restore. Despite the album's heaviness, though, the title is one that fits the tone of the album, which is probably best described as rhapsodic metalcore. Instead of just constantly punishing the listener with heaviness, August Burns Red allow their songs to really open up and soar, a quality they started to perfect on 2011's Leveler.

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Simply put, things haven't been the same for August Burns Red post-Thrill Seeker, which is to say, they have been. The group found their niche and have stuck to it ever since, even on much of their latest, Rescue & Restore. It's ironic that the most interesting track on August Burns Red's new album is titled "Creative Captivity." The song is primarily instrumental, and comes with none of the boundaries imposed by metal as a whole, or the even stricter expectations of August Burns Red's sound.

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Now a decade into their career, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, quintet August Burns Red have stated they are on a mission to revive metalcore from its self-induced coma of conformity, and their latest, Rescue & Restore (the title being a nod to said crusade), puts the band’s music where their collective mouth is. An immediately impressive work of skill and creativity well-removed from the rehashed riffs and tired scream-sing antics that plague the genre, Rescue is a bold step forward for both the band and anyone attempting to follow it. As much as Rescue has all the hallmarks of a modern metalcore album, tipping its hat to essential contemporaries like As I Lay Dying and Darkest Hour, this is the work of a mature, experienced outfit with a vision all their own.

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