Send "August Burns Red " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Thenewreview |
 There is really no way around it. August Burns Red has done it again. Their new album, Leveler, will destroy – level, if you will – anything in its path. After almost a decade and four albums later, August Burns Red has become the band they were always destined to be. From the opening scream of “Skyscrapers, earth movers, ground breakers!” to the ending verse where Luhrs passionately shouts “I forgive you!,” this album speaks to every aspect of the human psyche. It is quite clear that August Burns Red is a diverse group who have all survived dramatically different life experiences. This blending of emotions and experiences gives this album a depth that has been severely missed in music as of late. For those of you who loved Constellations, this is the album for you. After a heavier album in Messengers, the band began to evolve and move past breakdown centric songs. Constellations prominently featured some of music’s all time greatest melodies with absolutely beautiful songwriting. Leveler is Constellations‘ spiritual successor and as such, contains stunning melodies. JB Brubaker has improved greatly when it comes to his guitar work. His range is absolutely incredible. Whether he is keeping pace with Matt Greiner’s blistering skin work (which we will touch on later), soloing, or overlaying rhythm guitarist Brent Rambler with melodies that often took my breath away, it is clear that JB knows his way around a guitar. For those who, like me, who have followed August Burns Red for years, this change in style has been blindingly obvious. In a recent interview JB cited Explosions in the Sky as an inspiration for multiple members of ABR. He claimed that post-rock groups such as Explosions in the Sky can be the invigorating lifeblood that the stagnant and dying metalcore genre needs, if bands will allow themselves to be influenced by something so different from your average heavy band. Those who downloaded August Burns Red’s latest Christmas cover, “Little Drummer Boy,” saw that ABR was clearly interested in writing post-rock material. “Little Drummer Boy” proved that they not only knew how to write an ambient and atmospheric song, but could do it well and not bore their fans. Now, never fear, this is not a post-rock album. This is August Burns Red’s own take on the metalcore genre but with a prominent influence from non-metal music. Sprinkled throughout some of the later songs are gorgeous post-rock sections that meld perfectly with the heavier metalcore elements. These interludes blend into the songs and leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to jump right back into the quicker verses. These sections do not interrupt the flow of the album. In fact, they augment it and help pace the lengthy fifty minute epic that is Leveler. For those of you whose favorite album in ABR’s venerable discography is Messengers and whose favorite parts of Constellations were the breakdowns, hold fast for Leveler is not only a relaxing atmospheric trip, it is also a back-breaking thrill ride. JB said that they would not have named the album Leveler if it wasn’t heavy, and after multiple listens I can say with one hundred percent certainty that he is correct. As much as I adore getting lost in a melody, my favorite parts of the album are easily the heaviest. The end of the song “40 Nights” caught me completely by surprise. Luhrs screams, “Goliath, we’re calling your name! Goliath, we’re coming for you!” A spectacular ending to a heavy song and excellent counterpart to the melodic and methodical “Carpe Diem” that preceded it. Two songs later “Poor Millionaire” had my jaw on the floor. Intense, driven and powerful, this song is full of emotion. Oh, and did I mention it’s heavy? It’s heavy. The final breakdown of the song begins with a blast of 808 and ends with an extended scream by Luhrs. This album has its fair share of mosh parts so all you hardcore kids out there can rest easy....full text |
| Absolutepunk |
| Jake Luhrs screams these words in the middle of “Cutting The Ties,” the fourth track on August Burns Red fourth album, Leveler. After selling hundreds of thousands records over the course of their first three albums, it'd be easy for August Burns Red to just rehash some of their more successful formulas to continue this trend, especially in a genre that breeds familiarity and copycats. But towards the end of the aforementioned track, Luhrs belts out “Break free!,” which perfectly summarizes the mindset throughout Leveler. The band's musicianship is at an all-time best on Leveler. From the auditory assault of opening track “Empires” to the methodical mid-tempo “Carpe Diem,” August Burns Red gives each track a distinct sound while never wandering too far from the ABR canon. What sets Leveler apart from the band's previous albums is the improved range of vocalist Jake Luhrs. He transitions from blood-curdling screams to deep guttural growls at the drop of a pin throughout the crushing “Divisions,” while his spoken word lyrics over the bride of “Salt & Light” set the stage for uplifting gang vocal chants. At the end of “40 Nights,” Luhrs screams, “The Earth is about to crack! Brace for impact, run for the hills!” over a colossal breakdown that'll make you feel like you must follow Luhrs' directions. And Luhrs is not the only one to step up his game on Leveler. Guitarists JB Brubaker and Brent Rambler deploy some of their strongest riffs and chords yet. Songs like “Pangaea” and “Poor Millionaire” are both relentless in different ways. The former serves up some incredible melodies played at break-neck speed (the duo is paced by Matt Greiner's fantastic work behind the kit), while the latter is pummeling from beginning to end. But the band's most impressive work is delivered on Leveler's second track, “Internal Cannon.” The song begins in chaos, as Luhrs' voice shreds through the high-octane pace of track. That is until the band ends up in a timbre they've never explored before, diving into a sexy salsa-tinged pre-chorus that launches into some seriously guitar riffs that takes the track to a whole 'nother level. Throughout Leveler, August Burns Red never stays stagnant, as they switch up the structure with perfect precision, ranging anywhere from gang vocals (“Empires” and “Salt & Light”) and frantic rhythmic shredding (“Boys of Fall”) to experimental mid-sections (“Internal Cannon” and the fantastic slide-guitar bridge in “Carpe Diem”). The Pennsylvania quintet is more than just meathead metalcore, which they showcase demonstratively throughout Leveler. With Leveler, August Burns Red stays true to their sound while remaining fresh. The 12 tracks contain new dynamics and elements that are sure to please old and new fans alike, while Jake Luhrs' performance places him to the very top of best vocalists within the genre. August Burns Red continuously aims for the jugular throughout Leveler, leaving you much like the destroyed habitat depicted on the cover....full text |
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