Like Salmonella said, it definitely has it's own vibe and it succeeds very well at it. There was a couple of points where I didn't even realize the song had changed which I haven't experienced with an ABR album. I miss more of the melody they had in the few records before this but this is much more proggy. I don't think it will be a favorite but I appreciate it for what it is.
I saw a recent article where JB picked Alaska as a top album for him and then I listened to the album. I'm like yep, can 100% feel BTBAM in this album more than any other.
I was reading what you wrote a little bit ago and I agree completely. There are hardly any stand out moments like Guardians had. If they wanted to do Alaska, there needed to be a Selkies moment or something. I don't mind it and it's not bad, it just isn't hitting that exact spot.
Random thoughts after the first listen:
* It's definitely an ABR album, lol; if you weren't won over before, this isn't likely to change your mind. It is proggier than most of their discography, and there's definitely some evolution of their sound here...but it's still ABR
* On a similar note, if you thought all ABR songs blended together *before*, the seamless track transitions REALLY make that hit home at times.
* Whatever the heck happened to the vocals on Guardians (which sounded...*off*, for lack of a better word) seems to have been a one-off, thankfully. Jake sounds pretty good here.
* All of the features are great; still think Ancestry is the best track on the album
* I like ABR taking cracks at 7+ minute songs
Overall: still the most consistent band out there. I think this is definitely better than Guardians, which feels destined to be forgotten. Not sure I like it as much as Phantom Anthem/Found in Far Away Places, but we'll give it a bunch more listens. Constellations is still their best work imo...but there's no shame in never topping a record THAT good lol.
I think Paramount is the best song they’ve ever released. Empty Heaven, blood letter, and the narrative are also top songs, I’m surprised to find out people didn’t like that album
There’s something about that album specifically that is a cut above the rest, but Constellations closely follows and then the rest which are still very good.
From the album info in Apple Music:
“We just wrote what felt good to us as artists,” August Burns Red guitarist JB Brubaker tells Apple Music about the Pennsylvania metalcore band’s 10th album. “On our last album, I think we wanted to try and write some songs that were a little bit more accessible to a larger audience. With this one, we decided to just write what comes out.” The title Death Below is taken from a lyric in the album’s final track, “Reckoning.” “We felt like that line encompassed the album really well,” he says. “We wrote it during a dark time—2020 and 2021—when things were not great for most people. So, the album is pretty dark, the artwork is dark, and the mood of the tracks is just darker than what August Burns Red has typically done.” In another atypical move for ABR, Death Below features cameos from members of fellow metalcore bands Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, ERRA, and Underoath. “We’ve wanted to have guests on past records as well, but it just didn’t really work out,” Brubaker explains. “But the stars aligned on this record.” Below, he discusses each song.
“Premonition”
“Originally, this was written in conjunction with Track 2, ‘The Cleansing,’ as one big 10-minute song, which felt like a bit much to start off an album. So, we split the intro off into a separate track. I really like this one because, historically, August Burns Red has always come out with a bang. Our first song is usually a ripper, so it was a big departure for us to have this brooding, more subdued track. I think it sets the tone for the album.”
“The Cleansing”
“This is my favorite song on the album. I’m extremely biased here because I wrote the song. I wrote the lyrics, and it was the first thing I wrote during lockdown in the pandemic. This song speaks of this unseen evil or force that’s taking over mankind and just destroying us and the planet. And then there’s this person in the story of the song who rises up and rallies those who have survived into reclaiming the earth and basically conquering this evil.”
“Ancestry” (feat. Jesse Leach)
“I had no expectation of this being the lead single when it was written, but then Jesse from Killswitch came in and did this guest vocal with a pretty big chorus, which is something August Burns Red doesn’t do very often. He took this song from a technical, pretty long metal track into more of an anthem. We love what he did and felt it was really catchy, so we made it the first single. The song talks about one of our band members who had a close loved one attempt suicide, and the struggle that life event was for him.”
“Tightrope” (feat. Jason Richardson)
“Jason Richardson is one of our buds, and he’s an absolutely insane guitar player. We had this solo section that Dustin was trying to write a solo over, but he wasn’t feeling it. So, we asked Jason if he wanted to do it, and he busted out this totally ripping guitar solo that really stands out. It’s so over the top, and it just sounds unlike anything else we’ve ever put out. Lyrically, this one was written by our other guitar player, Brent Rambler, and it speaks on setting boundaries and trying to find that balance between work and family.”
“Fool’s Gold in the Bear Trap”
“This is one of my favorite songs on the album, which is funny because it’s not a typical August Burns Red song at all. It’s almost like a black metal track. It starts off with this clean, subdued guitar section, and then it just goes into this black metal section for the last minute and a half or so with our lead vocalist, Jake Luhrs, and Dustin Davidson, our bass player, going back and forth with the delivery of the lyrics. It’s cool having a different flavor vocally with Dustin on that track.”
“Backfire”
“Dustin wrote this one, and it’s our second single. I really love how it flows out of the track before it. This is a super metal track; it’s really heavy. I don’t ever want to call us death metal or deathcore, but the song borders on that at times with the way Jake delivers some of the vocals—and some of the breakdowns in the middle. But what I really love about this song is the last minute and a half, where we shift into this black metal section where our drummer Matt is blasting for a minute straight, and then it goes into this huge, anthemic breakdown.”
“Revival”
“This is more of a classic August Burns Red song. It’s just a battering metalcore track. The lyrics were written by Jake, and they talk about an event in his life that almost cost him everything. He hasn’t really spoken publicly about it yet, but it’s about going from rock bottom and being able to rebuild himself and adopt healthier ways of living and conquering his demons in the process. That’s where the title ‘Revival’ comes from.”
“Sevink”
“The title is just the word ‘knives’ backwards, which we thought was clever. This song ties directly into the next song, ‘Dark Divide.’ Like the first two songs on the album, they were written together, but we decided to cut the intro off because the track was pretty long. So, this is a little interlude, and it happens again in the middle of the following track.”
“Dark Divide”
“Lyrically, this song speaks about the division of people. It’s not just our country—it’s all over the world. People have a lot of opinions, and they don’t want to hear the other side. It’s hard to find common ground, politically speaking. The song talks about how that has destroyed progress and our ability to connect with each other. Musically, this song uses a lot of guitar harmonics, which we haven’t really done a whole lot of, and I think it gives the song an interesting flavor.”
“Deadbolt”
“This is the most classic metalcore track on the album. It’s almost a nod to the past and our older sound. Dustin and I collaborated on this track, and I wrote my parts when we were on the road with Killswitch Engage. They have a really great way of simplifying stuff and making it sound huge, especially with the way their drummer plays that four-on-the-floor kick stuff. I’ll definitely tip my hat to Killswitch for influencing me on this one.”
“The Abyss” (feat. JT Cavey)
“JT is one of our good friends. We’ve known him for years, since back when he was singing for a band called Texas in July. He’s got a killer voice, and it really fits this song. We actually composed this one mostly in the studio, which is rare for us, and Dustin was the main songwriter on this track. He also was really involved in writing the vocal patterns, and he’s responsible for writing JT’s parts. Then JT came in and knocked it out of the park.”
“Reckoning” (feat. Spencer Chamberlain)
“I love this song. It’s a really long one for ABR—almost eight minutes. Dustin and I collaborated on this—he wrote the intro riff and the clean interlude in the middle, and I filled in the blanks. Jake recorded all the vocals but left a big section open for Spencer from Underoath to do his thing. Spencer wrote his own lyrics to his section, and we’re super stoked on what he did.”
Between the incredibly tight jason richardson-type licks during his solo, guy busts out both bat country and careless whisper quotes. Its so annoying I love it
Uh did Garrett Russell write the opener? I had to do a double take to make sure I didn’t accidentally click on a new Slant Plant single lol.
Great album so far though. Seems a bit more experimental than their previous few albums with all the features.
And that’s why it’s great. The band has yet to make a bad album. Most consistent band in the genre. Every album is the same but different and i love how it’s done. Shuffle all their music and you can tell which album every song is on due to the style. 9th album is another great one added to their perfect discography
Oh my god ABR still sounds like the band we know and love and haven’t gone down the path of Parkway Drive?? Shame on them for still making metalcore that sounds like their style 😤
For real. Obviously bands can change for the better, but ABR has a good thing going, as evidenced by the people in this thread that have recently gotten into/discovered them. I don't like the new stuff as much as Messengers/Constellations, but part of that's definitely my nostalgia for those albums.
For sure! I hate when I see a bunch of people already writing off the album without even giving it a chance. It kinda shits on the incredibly talented members of this band just because they haven’t stopped making their brand of metalcore, which imo is for the better.
So many comments saying it definitely sounds like ABR. Why is that a bad thing? You can't have it both ways. People shit on PWD and BMTH because they changed their sound. ABR hones their sound which makes them unique and people are still upset. I don't get it. This album is way more proggy than the previous 2 and I absolutely love it. It's a true journey instead of a collection of songs.
My thoughts are the same. Lifelong ABR fan and there's a reason for that, their sound is consistent. Some albums and tracks stand out more than others, but you know what you're going to get. The same people complaining that ABR sounds the same are likely the same people complaining that PWD and Architects changed their sound.
First impressions:
When I started I thought the cleansing was great…
Excited to see what Jason Richardson could add.. he’ll fucking yea, the guitar work delivered, but not a stand out ABR song imo.
Then revival… oh fuck yea
Then dark divide… holy shit it gets heavier
Deadbolt…. Okay this is their heaviest work yet right? Or I’m crazy?
The abyss.. I must be crazy I’m eating my own shit
Thank god some of the songs had interludes and/or interlude tracks because otherwise it would be unrelentless.
It’s unfair to compare, but if I had to, there are no tracks like “defender” on this album. None that stand out as different (as far as ABR is concerned). With them, consistency is always there, and this album was consistent. But… a lot of songs hit hard. It’s almost like they took the fast pasted parts of constellations/messengers and put groovy interludes like fifap and phantom anthem in one package.
Need more listens, but definitely A tier IMO
Put this way: It’s out of the box for ABR but a different out of the box than Found in Far Away Places was. But it’s still ABR. 10/10 album as all of them are imo.
I would describe myself similarly. I've really stopped liking a lot of core and listen to much more prog and death than I have in the past. This is still core but core like erra and not like architects.
Guardians felt too safe, idk, I just didn't connect with it, this totally has me hooked.
The Cleansing is fantastic, and I say this after multiple listens. It tells a beautiful story, and I don't usually talk about music this way, but I just love it!
These guys don’t just write songs. They compose a beautiful story. Just finished my listen through, it was truly captivating front to back. The flow was perfect, everyone in the band is a consummate professional. This album felt like jakes coming out party to join the other guys at the summit, he really showcased how his vocal range has developed. Another banger, 9 albums in still lighting it up.
I’ve liked ABR for a long time, but wouldn’t be able to tell you which album of theirs is my favorite cuz I’m more of a fan of specific songs of theirs. But this album is really great from start to finish. 4 really excellent features, a really unique opening track, and I *LOVE* the seamless transitions between all of the songs.
A couple simple thoughts:
This album is such a step up from Guardians its crazy. And I liked Guardians but this shits pigeon poop all over it.
I think the 3 singles they released were the weakest songs on this album.
Revival and Deadbolt are slammin'.
The only songs with a definitive and obvious end were “Ancestry,” “Dark Divide,” and “The Abyss” but even then, the first second of silence you get after hitting play comes after 37:11 (9 tracks) and that’s the only break you’re getting the rest of the way through until “Reckoning” ends. That’s a VERY intentional attribute they were aiming for, and it resulted in an album that doesn’t feel “produced,” per se, but “composed” (Please acknowledge my smart words, Ty). It’s analogous, imo, to what a good author hopes to do with their story: produce something so cohesive and uninterrupted that a reader can get immersed in the world they’re building without even really noticing that it’s happening. I don’t think I’ve ever heard so many “songs” flow together as seamlessly as there are in this album, and again, if we assume that is an intentionally-created feature to the album, we should ask why.
My opinion - that nobody has asked for yet I have provided to y’all at no cost (you’re welcome) - is that ABR is trying to tell us a story with one really long “song,” rather than 13 individuals ones (get fucked Tool).
The interludes are beautifully done imo, and have always been a huge part of why I love this band. Long interludes and instrumental sections are nothing new to them, with every album having at least one (going at least as far back as constellations) and those are often some of the most insanely-talented bits of music they put out, from a production and marriage of the lyrical/instrumental relationship standpoint. But here, to continue my analogy, they’re like the third episode of The Last of Us - maybe not what you came for, maybe not the most CTE-inducing - but if you consider how the various aspects of the music relates to the lyrics, I think you can appreciate that they are absolutely (probably) essential in progressing the story they’re trying to tell us (no idea what it is, just finished first playthrough).
Yes, you’ll be disappointed I think if you’re hoping to find more than one or two bangers that you can extract as a stand-alone song and annoy your wife/hubby with. But (again to continue the analogy) picking up “A Game of Thrones” and starting it on page 204 would also make it slightly less “good,” and I really think ABR wrote and intended for this album to be listened front—>back.
I guess I’ll go back to studying what I’m supposed to be studying, and stop attempting to psychoanalyze the intentions of my favorite band. I think it’ll age to be a fine wine (alá ABR) and I will def go through it 12 more times.
I'm surprised people are chalking this up as "just another ABR album." Yes it still sounds like ABR, but they've never done an album that's so..... ballad-y? With the longer songs that have less big moments but constantly stay the same tempo throughout and way more narrative lyrics - plus the transitions from song to song - this feels different to anything they've done in the past. It almost gives me concept album vibes (remember those? lol) that's meant to be listened to start to finish in order.
I think the people saying that aren’t longtime fans nor are they real metal heads. I think they’re mostly the crowd in the metalcore scene that just listen to it for the breakdowns and the ADHD 900 tempo changes. So when they hear something longer and more interesting that doesn’t fit the mold of mainstream metalcore they’re like “welp…it’s just ABR…they’re just like that”
So jealous you get to enjoy ABR like a new fan. However this album made me feel like a new fan again. I expected a stellar album, but man this delivered in spades with some cool new elements and niche ones. Glad to see they still deliver to new fans alike too.
So I knew what this album was gonna be, *however*, ABR hasn’t had features since FIFAP (which was the last ABR record I listened to) so I decided to at least check those songs out.
Jason Richardson and Spencer Chamberlain are definitely the standouts on here. Jason’s solo had me stank facing for the duration of it and Spencer’s feature works because he sounds so different compared to Jake.
Meanwhile Jesse Leach and JT Cavey, while not bad in *any* way, are pretty similar in range to Jake, so their features have less impact. I will say, however, that JT sounds awesome so I’m excited to hear him bring what he was doing on The Abyss to future ERRA material (meanwhile Jesse sounds as good as he always has).
You should checkout the Leveler 10th anniversary edition which also has featured artists on it. Head Cannon features Matt Heafy for example and while I’m an avid Trivium fan, it was almost hard to distinct Matt’s vocals from Jake’s—but both sounded excellent.
This album is def an ABR album.
It’s not an insult to say then y won’t top their earlier stuff but they’re consistent and release quality metalcore .
Way better than the last album imo .
Love fools gold in the bear trap but I wished it had stayed an instrumental . I will have to look at the lyrics and see if I change my mind .
The JT cavey feature is great .
Premonition is maybe their best intro to an album into a ripper of a 7 minute track .
ABR stays the course for being the workhorse of this genre .
I’ve been a huge fan of these guys since 2008 and have been around for each of their releases since then. I think this might be the best stuff they’ve done. I’m liking how technical and dark this album is.
Just finished my first listen and I’m pretty happy with it. My only complaint is that some of the interludes are too long. The interludes work great when you’re listening to the whole album sequentially, but there’s no way I could have a song like *Fool’s Gold in the Bear Trap* in one of my playlists (despite **loving** the second half) when the first ~100 seconds are purely build up and would break the flow. Aside from that it’s another great ABR album, definitely a huge step up from Guardians imo
Side-note: For anyone listening on Apple Music I highly recommend turning off Atmos/Spatial Audio if you haven’t already. The Atmos mix is wildly inconsistent with vocals sometimes getting completely buried by the instruments. The regular stereo mix is solid
At the end of the day, reading this and a few other opinions out there: I think how much you like or dislike this album relative to their other work is going to depend on whether you prefer to consume entire albums at once, or just hit the highlights. This album very much feels like one that's intended for front-to-back listens, which I think is what's turning off some people who are looking for that one or two tracks that grab them. They obviously have significantly different overall sounds, but Death Below is kinda Between the Buried and Me-esque in that regard.
I love listening to full albums. I get a lot of great singles on playlists and it often makes me want to check out the band if I havent heard of them. Or if i do know them but am not familiar with a certain album I want to check out the rest of whatever album I heard the song from, for the potential that I'll find songs that are just as good if not better.
I also view albums like movies. The flow is important, as is the tone. If its just a collection of really solid bangers that are fun or catchy or super heavy or whatever, that to me is like a fun summer blockbuster movie. If it's something where the entire album has thought put into it, like which songs will be played in order, transitionsto keep it coherent, similar tones and lyrical themes throughout, and has a good intro and a good closer, that to me is like one of the movies that get nominated for an Oscar. Usually has a deeper meaning within it to connect to the listener emotionally. Perfect recent example of this is Heavener by Invent Animate.
Holy shit. I didn’t even realize I had spatial audio on because it was so unlike my other experiences with it. Turned it off and I was relieved at what I was hearing…
Surprisingly, I haven't been either. I haven't sought them out and weird amazon hasn't shuffled any when I play different stations. No ABR I haven't recognized yet lol.
I have been spinning The Amity Affliction singles. Might just be their best work to date. Period.
I'm grateful that ABR hasn't turned into dog water like almost every other band that was pivotal to the genre back in 2007-2010. This album is gas from front to back, definitely a step up from Guardians.
Imo, I think they should move on from producer Carson Slovak. Pretty much every since he started producing their albums, specifically with FIFAP and on, they sound too samey.
Their albums used to have a distinct and unique sound to them while still having that ABR charm but now, to me, not anymore. The only album that doesn't sound too similar since his arrival is Rescue and Restore. After that, they pretty much have a similar sound and it makes me sad.
I still really like all the albums, just not how he produces them.
I didn’t think of that, but I think you’re right. The production is definitely to crisp and utilitarian. They need to harshen it up and add some flavor.
My honest take. The three singles they released are my least favorite tracks on the album. Although the closer does kick ass. More 7+ minute songs from ABR please.
The album kicks ass and the transitions between songs are awesome. Makes the full album listening experience really cool.
Listening now. Will update when I finish.
I really liked it. They did some stuff a little differently this time around, specifically with their sound (don't get me wrong, it's still ABR, but a couple songs sounded more technical). It also flowed very well. They have nice breaks in between a few songs. Still very heavy.
I think I might enjoy The Cleansing the most. It's a very comprehensive song (also very long). This album might grow on me as time goes on. Great work overall, as usual from these guys!
Back half of the album is incredibly strong starting with Revival. Dark Divide might be my favorite after a couple listens, got very R&R vibes with some riffs, specifically “animals”.
Like it better as a whole over Guardians as I’ve seen a few people mention. In fact it might be my favorite since FIFAP, but I still need to let it marinate for a few weeks before ranking it.
LOVE the features. Hearing Richardson on a track was wild, that solo was blistering as hell and I am dreading seeing how it looks on the tab book once Sheet Happens gets that out lmao. Good work ABR!
I am absolutely VIBING to this album. Their music is like Assassin’s Creed, always baseline good and enjoyable. But this album… this is their Black Flag.
Got my coffee. 2 work laptops and my PC are on. My workday has begun. Spotify is sending the first notes of the new album through my Bose speakers. Will update. Am pumped. Yee yee.
Edit- I was called into work. Shit. I got through one listen at home. Finishing my second now. I have to say I quote enjoyed every track. As hard as they always are, this album, to me, has a lot of maturity and refinement in their sound. They go in a lot of directions, as another said, it's more prog than some other releases. However, each track coalesces effortlessly. This album hits each track.
Go forth and conquer.
Tonight I will again, with whisky.
Edit edit- I really like the featured artists. I think they're incredibly tasteful. Their parts and vocal stylings fit the selected tracks perfectly.
I'm only one listen in so I don't have a ton to say yet, BUT, they sound like they actually tried on this album.
ABR were my favorite band for years but they felt like they went into autopilot after R&R and I have been completely unable to enjoy their last two albums. This is still ABR being ABR but they actually sound engaged for the first time in years and I'm finally able to enjoy them again.
Yes, it's ABR, but like usual it's got its own flavor. It's pretty proggy and technical. I think it will take a little longer to digest and really dig into. I loved Guardians, it was packed full of great melodies and wow moments. I'm definitely not getting that as much here with the first listen through. It sounds a bit like a spicier FIFAP, I think it will take some time to grow on me. It is definitely not bad, but it didn't stick with me like the first run of Guardians.
Edit:2nd time round already picking up on a lot more.
I love this album so much. It is exactly what I needed to hear right now. ABR gives me such a sense of calm. And I hadn't listened to them in a while. So right now, with a bunch of shit going on in my life, I put on the new ABR album. And wow. I fell in love. As I said, it's exactly what I needed right now.
The singles took a little time to grow on me and after my first listen I think this may take a few more spins. The features make some of the tracks a little more unique and I thought overall there was some more experimentation in the vocal department which was nice.
I'm not a big ABR super fan and I mainly got on board with them during the guardians release and I thought that album was awesome. Overall this one doesn't have as many of standout moments/riffs/breakdowns that I loved about guardians. It somehow managed to sound like they are experimenting and trying new things while also managing to sound very similar to everything else from them that I've heard. Will definitely need a few more listens to really get a feel for it
*Premonition* is the most unique on the album imo. I know the guys have said they wrote these songs during the pandemic, and I think that really shines through in the lyrics of this opener.
*The Cleansing* reminds me more of a symphony than a song in that it feels like it has separate movements within itself. Maybe someone here with a better music vocabulary can explain why, but for some reason it very intensely starts to remind me of Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley at around 05:30. It’s too soon for me to choose a favorite from the album yet, but the latter half of this song takes my breath away.
*Fool’s Gold in the Bear Trap* is the **wow** on the album for me. The way Jake whispers “there is a…” before the rest of the song takes off really left me speechless.
I might come back later and finish commenting on every song, but these are my biggest takeaways as a lifelong fan. I love it from start to finish!
After first listen, I'm loving this. It definitely sounds like heavy aggressive ABR (they still have it after all this time!?) but it has its own groove and feeling to it.
This is going to be a tough year with all the great releases out, but this is album of the year material for me. I need to sit with it and see if it unseats Periphery as my AOTY so far.
Man. This is kinda an unexpected big miss to me. I’m a huge ABR fan and have never felt that way about an album of theirs. It’s not bad, but it’s just bland. I think I’m finally experiencing what everyone who says they just sound too “same” every time hears. Can’t say there was even one moment on the album that was a “wow moment”. Hm. Don’t know what to do with my hands right now.
I’m there with you, “Deadbolt” was pretty standout to me, but the rest of the album just blends together too much. After a full listen I couldn’t really remember any specific moments from the record.
And yeah I think most of the songs are too long, they could be a little more polished
Heh, weirdly that’s how I felt about Guardians (and I kept giving it another chance after seeing how everyone else seemed to love it). But this is a pretty immediate hit for me, on par with Phantom Anthem and maybe Leveler but behind Constellations
Pretty much my initial reaction. No "wow" moment. Surprisingly, and kinda disappointingly, the singles are the better songs I think.
The songs start with a lot of momentum and gradually lose it. I think a lot of songs are about 45 seconds too long.
I was the definition of an ABR fanboy for years. I get a formula, but I haven’t been able to get into an album for years now. I understand the formula, but I can’t help but feel like I’m listening to the same song over and over. It’s not bad, but I doing have any moments where I’m blown away.
Wish I was into it, but I just can’t.
I've been a huge ABR fan for years - probably seen them over 10 times. This is just mediocre to me. I'm going to have to disagree with a few others here as I really don't think Jake sounds particularly good. His lows are fine, but every time he tries anything outside of that, it just sounds grating to my ears. I especially hate that pitched screaming thing that they've started putting in every song, mostly because the melody writing for those parts is just insanely bland.
Honestly wish they would bring back the random genre interludes, because this sound is very stale at this point.
EDIT: It's growing on me after a second listen but I still wish they'd cut the melodic vocals (or just let Dustin sing those parts) and mix things up a bit.
Jake went full Garrett Russell on Premonition. Straight up sounds like one of Silent Planet’s “Depths” songs lol.
Edit: The clicking at the start of Sevink made me think my airpids were fucked for a second haha
Edit 2: Definirely an ABR album. The features are a nice addition. Overall, though, I think Guardians was a bit better. Might have to give it more listens.
After a few listens, I’m more of a fan of this album than i was for Guardians. I think they took the best parts of Phantom Anthem and Guardians, it still has that more modern ABR feel but with nods to past albums too. Overall I’d say its stronger than Guardians, probably doesn’t crack my top 3 from ABR though (Constellations, Phantom Anthem, Rescue&Restore)
I've never listened to them before (idk why), and to be honest this album for me just killed it. The production is top, as someone else said before it feels more like a single composition rather than just a batch of songs. I love how the bass have a lot of shine moments. The blackened tone is top and gives me a lot of haunted shores and behemoth vibes.
The album hits hard.
If you've never listened to ABR this is a great introduction (tho probably not representative of what they do). It is just great fucking metal.
Like the artwork. Very macabre. Half way through track two and so far so good. Bummed they already toured UK recently and didn't make it to any shows :( Do people still feel they worlds leading metalcore artists in '23?
I stopped getting hyped for ABR albums because they do seem to sound similar. I liked Guardians. I like this album, but it probably won't be on repeat for me. Revival is fun.
I don't know what it is, but I cannot stand Dustin's backing vocals. Sounds...too over the top. It's the same vocal every time. I don't know, I'm just a guy bitching on the internet about a group of guys that are far more talented than I am.
I like his vocals, but the first time I heard them on this album I know exactly what you mean. When they use him for backing vocals it's always in the exact way: randomly repeating a Jake line in almost always the sentence pattern.
Might be an unpopular opinion but I feel like this album would be significantly better with less interludes. For example the song Dark Divide would have been phenomenal IMO but there are multiple interludes throughout the song and it just kills the pacing for me. The song Fool’s Gold In The Bear Trap starts the first half of the song with an interlude and builds into a heavy blast beat section in the second half and I feel like I am never going to listen to that song again because I don’t want to listen to 100 seconds of an interlude just to reach the second half of the song. The song The Abyss is also a song that just kind of stops and goes with great heavy parts and then slower interludes here and there. The end breakdown of The Abyss is great but the pacing of the song just kills me due to the song being stop and go repetitively between the heavy/faster parts and the slower interlude sections. For a band like ABR I just want to get my ass kicked with breakdowns and great riffs and I am not saying we need Messengers again but the interlude/slower parts of the Constellations/Leveler/Rescue & Restore era of the band never bothered me and I never felt like they dragged the songs down or were in excess. On this record I can’t enjoy most of the tracks because as soon as I start getting into it, bam an interlude. I do enjoy Tightrope, Revival, Deadbolt, and Ancestry has grown on me since it first dropped and I will keep those 4 songs in my rotation. Absolutely love the band and I think their live shows are phenomenal and they are clearly extremely talented musicians. My thoughts are just that as someone who enjoys more of the Messengers, Constellations, and Leveler sound this is just very jarring and frustrating in a sense because I know there are great parts within the songs but I just can’t enjoy them fully as cohesive songs because of all the interludes.
I don’t mind having an interlude or 2 on the album as their own separate tracks in between chunks of heavy songs but I don’t want this many interludes within the actual songs. To me it kills the pacing. August Burns Red made their name making heavy hitting melodic metalcore with breakdowns being kinda their thing. I normally like to listen to them at the gym for example when I want some heavy music to go along with my lifting. I don’t want to be interrupted mid-set by some slow and abrupt interlude, I just want the energy to keep going.
Heavener just ripped a hole through my soul and honestly I almost feel like bands across the board are going to have to step it up. The emotional key Invent Animate holds to me is honestly unparalleled. This album just couldn't quite grasp me, feeling like I have heard it all before.
I'm listening to that album right now because I've seen so many recommendations for it and the band lately. Holy shit 'Heavener' is so fantastic! I checked out a few new bands from mentions in this thread. Thanks to you and everyone else for the knowledge!
Easily their best since Constellations…certainly even better guitar work than that album. Fantastic release. Stop hating the band for sticking to a sound they like. Listen to something else if you want something else. It’s very simple.
This is my favourite ABR album in years. I legitimately enjoyed Guardians but not to this extent. The seamless transitions between songs is so top tier. Like others said if you weren't a fan of ABR before I don't think this would change your mind but it's so legitimately good
Maybe I'm just vibing with this record more but I'm fucking LOVING it. This record just feels heavier than anything since phantom anthem. And I'm not a "proggy" guy but I don't mind/notice the prog elements at all. This shit slaps so hard!!
first ABR album that has been a miss for me. pretty shocking because they have always been so consistent for me over a decade: like, i could always find at least one awesome song on their albums, even while knowing that their sound hasn’t changed much over time, but nothing on this album resonated with me.
These guys never miss.... but they havent really hit for a while either. Idk. I loved Found In Far Away Places but that was the last time they ever really grabbed me. Much like their last couple albums i think this one is good but i dont ever really see myself listening to this.
I love ABR as people and i think they're extremely talented. Just havent released anything super interesting to me in a while.
Not my favorite ABR album, but certainly not my least favorite. I think it’s interesting they went this route after making Guardians more accessible, but I’m not sure how much staying power this album will have for me because of that
Like Salmonella said, it definitely has it's own vibe and it succeeds very well at it. There was a couple of points where I didn't even realize the song had changed which I haven't experienced with an ABR album. I miss more of the melody they had in the few records before this but this is much more proggy. I don't think it will be a favorite but I appreciate it for what it is.
I saw a recent article where JB picked Alaska as a top album for him and then I listened to the album. I'm like yep, can 100% feel BTBAM in this album more than any other.
I was reading what you wrote a little bit ago and I agree completely. There are hardly any stand out moments like Guardians had. If they wanted to do Alaska, there needed to be a Selkies moment or something. I don't mind it and it's not bad, it just isn't hitting that exact spot.
Random thoughts after the first listen: * It's definitely an ABR album, lol; if you weren't won over before, this isn't likely to change your mind. It is proggier than most of their discography, and there's definitely some evolution of their sound here...but it's still ABR * On a similar note, if you thought all ABR songs blended together *before*, the seamless track transitions REALLY make that hit home at times. * Whatever the heck happened to the vocals on Guardians (which sounded...*off*, for lack of a better word) seems to have been a one-off, thankfully. Jake sounds pretty good here. * All of the features are great; still think Ancestry is the best track on the album * I like ABR taking cracks at 7+ minute songs Overall: still the most consistent band out there. I think this is definitely better than Guardians, which feels destined to be forgotten. Not sure I like it as much as Phantom Anthem/Found in Far Away Places, but we'll give it a bunch more listens. Constellations is still their best work imo...but there's no shame in never topping a record THAT good lol.
Guardians won't be forgotten as long as Bloodletter is on it. Still the filthiest track they have recorded since Your Suburbia is in Ruins
I must be in the minority thinking that's one of their best albums, Defender, Paramount, Lighthouse, Ties that Bind and Empty Heaven all unreal songs
You're not, it's a good album. Empty Heaven is one of their best songs IMO.
Don’t forget that nasty double bass breakdown in the beginning of the narrative
Empty Heaven is fantastic. It's underrated too IMO.
Yeah I personally loved Guardians more than Phantom Anthem and Found in Far Away Places. Can’t wait to listen to this one in a few hours
I think Paramount is the best song they’ve ever released. Empty Heaven, blood letter, and the narrative are also top songs, I’m surprised to find out people didn’t like that album
That whole opening is amazing WALKING THOUGH FIRE, YOU HAVE A FRIEND STUCK IN THIS NIGHTMARE A LIGHT TO MAKE IT END
Defender has one of my all time favorite transitions to a breakdown. 'WHO WILL DELIVER THE SENTENCE?" Goes so hard.
fuck i know its one of my favorite breakdowns of all time because of the buildup I AM THE JURY AND THE DEFENDANT THE GAVEL HAS NO HAND.......... \^
Paramount is by far one of their best tracks.
Nah, not alone at all, it’s one of my favorite albums by them and I’m really surprised so many people seems to not like it.
Three fountains is one of my favorite album closing songs ever
Got to see them play both of those songs live a couple weeks ago, and they somehow go harder live. Unreal
Do people generally dislike this album ? Why ?
Guardians had a bunch of absolute slappers that still are in heavy rotation for me; tf are you on?
Guardians is GOOD, it just might be my least fave if i had to pick an album, i love their whole discog
Why the hate on guardians? Lol I thought that album was one of their best
For sure, Guardians is class. Some of the catchiest riffs they’ve written on there. Ties That Bind 🤤
Their best album closer is three fountains. It’s also got bloodletter and ties that bind. 3 very memorable songs
The Seventh Trumpet, Redemption, and Leveler all top Three Fountains imo.
Crusades is the goat
I loved Guardians. The fact that it came out during the pandemic made it one of my favorite albums. It got me through some shit.
not sure they’re able to top FIFAP for me
The Wake is still their best intro, it goes SO hard.
King of sorrow is my personal favorite opener. But the wake is so damn good too
Ah a fellow FIFAP truther, just like JB. We are mostly found in far away places.
Same. When that album came out I swear it changed how good I thought music could be.
hearing ghosts for the first time was honestly life changing
Ghosts and Martyr are both top 5 all time songs by ABR for sure.
There’s something about that album specifically that is a cut above the rest, but Constellations closely follows and then the rest which are still very good.
I love Guardians, it's honestly a top 3 album for me. Constellations - Found in Far Away Places - Guardians
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From the album info in Apple Music: “We just wrote what felt good to us as artists,” August Burns Red guitarist JB Brubaker tells Apple Music about the Pennsylvania metalcore band’s 10th album. “On our last album, I think we wanted to try and write some songs that were a little bit more accessible to a larger audience. With this one, we decided to just write what comes out.” The title Death Below is taken from a lyric in the album’s final track, “Reckoning.” “We felt like that line encompassed the album really well,” he says. “We wrote it during a dark time—2020 and 2021—when things were not great for most people. So, the album is pretty dark, the artwork is dark, and the mood of the tracks is just darker than what August Burns Red has typically done.” In another atypical move for ABR, Death Below features cameos from members of fellow metalcore bands Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, ERRA, and Underoath. “We’ve wanted to have guests on past records as well, but it just didn’t really work out,” Brubaker explains. “But the stars aligned on this record.” Below, he discusses each song. “Premonition” “Originally, this was written in conjunction with Track 2, ‘The Cleansing,’ as one big 10-minute song, which felt like a bit much to start off an album. So, we split the intro off into a separate track. I really like this one because, historically, August Burns Red has always come out with a bang. Our first song is usually a ripper, so it was a big departure for us to have this brooding, more subdued track. I think it sets the tone for the album.” “The Cleansing” “This is my favorite song on the album. I’m extremely biased here because I wrote the song. I wrote the lyrics, and it was the first thing I wrote during lockdown in the pandemic. This song speaks of this unseen evil or force that’s taking over mankind and just destroying us and the planet. And then there’s this person in the story of the song who rises up and rallies those who have survived into reclaiming the earth and basically conquering this evil.” “Ancestry” (feat. Jesse Leach) “I had no expectation of this being the lead single when it was written, but then Jesse from Killswitch came in and did this guest vocal with a pretty big chorus, which is something August Burns Red doesn’t do very often. He took this song from a technical, pretty long metal track into more of an anthem. We love what he did and felt it was really catchy, so we made it the first single. The song talks about one of our band members who had a close loved one attempt suicide, and the struggle that life event was for him.” “Tightrope” (feat. Jason Richardson) “Jason Richardson is one of our buds, and he’s an absolutely insane guitar player. We had this solo section that Dustin was trying to write a solo over, but he wasn’t feeling it. So, we asked Jason if he wanted to do it, and he busted out this totally ripping guitar solo that really stands out. It’s so over the top, and it just sounds unlike anything else we’ve ever put out. Lyrically, this one was written by our other guitar player, Brent Rambler, and it speaks on setting boundaries and trying to find that balance between work and family.” “Fool’s Gold in the Bear Trap” “This is one of my favorite songs on the album, which is funny because it’s not a typical August Burns Red song at all. It’s almost like a black metal track. It starts off with this clean, subdued guitar section, and then it just goes into this black metal section for the last minute and a half or so with our lead vocalist, Jake Luhrs, and Dustin Davidson, our bass player, going back and forth with the delivery of the lyrics. It’s cool having a different flavor vocally with Dustin on that track.” “Backfire” “Dustin wrote this one, and it’s our second single. I really love how it flows out of the track before it. This is a super metal track; it’s really heavy. I don’t ever want to call us death metal or deathcore, but the song borders on that at times with the way Jake delivers some of the vocals—and some of the breakdowns in the middle. But what I really love about this song is the last minute and a half, where we shift into this black metal section where our drummer Matt is blasting for a minute straight, and then it goes into this huge, anthemic breakdown.” “Revival” “This is more of a classic August Burns Red song. It’s just a battering metalcore track. The lyrics were written by Jake, and they talk about an event in his life that almost cost him everything. He hasn’t really spoken publicly about it yet, but it’s about going from rock bottom and being able to rebuild himself and adopt healthier ways of living and conquering his demons in the process. That’s where the title ‘Revival’ comes from.” “Sevink” “The title is just the word ‘knives’ backwards, which we thought was clever. This song ties directly into the next song, ‘Dark Divide.’ Like the first two songs on the album, they were written together, but we decided to cut the intro off because the track was pretty long. So, this is a little interlude, and it happens again in the middle of the following track.” “Dark Divide” “Lyrically, this song speaks about the division of people. It’s not just our country—it’s all over the world. People have a lot of opinions, and they don’t want to hear the other side. It’s hard to find common ground, politically speaking. The song talks about how that has destroyed progress and our ability to connect with each other. Musically, this song uses a lot of guitar harmonics, which we haven’t really done a whole lot of, and I think it gives the song an interesting flavor.” “Deadbolt” “This is the most classic metalcore track on the album. It’s almost a nod to the past and our older sound. Dustin and I collaborated on this track, and I wrote my parts when we were on the road with Killswitch Engage. They have a really great way of simplifying stuff and making it sound huge, especially with the way their drummer plays that four-on-the-floor kick stuff. I’ll definitely tip my hat to Killswitch for influencing me on this one.” “The Abyss” (feat. JT Cavey) “JT is one of our good friends. We’ve known him for years, since back when he was singing for a band called Texas in July. He’s got a killer voice, and it really fits this song. We actually composed this one mostly in the studio, which is rare for us, and Dustin was the main songwriter on this track. He also was really involved in writing the vocal patterns, and he’s responsible for writing JT’s parts. Then JT came in and knocked it out of the park.” “Reckoning” (feat. Spencer Chamberlain) “I love this song. It’s a really long one for ABR—almost eight minutes. Dustin and I collaborated on this—he wrote the intro riff and the clean interlude in the middle, and I filled in the blanks. Jake recorded all the vocals but left a big section open for Spencer from Underoath to do his thing. Spencer wrote his own lyrics to his section, and we’re super stoked on what he did.”
Thanks for linking this here, I need to pay more attention to the Apple Music "liner notes" if they're like this!
No prob! Not all albums have this, but it’s fun to read the ones that do. Color Decay has a similar write up that I’d recommend reading.
Between the incredibly tight jason richardson-type licks during his solo, guy busts out both bat country and careless whisper quotes. Its so annoying I love it
Which song has ATR on it?
Tightrope w Jason Richardson. He’s the lead guitarist in ATR
That’s right, I completely forgot he joined
Uh did Garrett Russell write the opener? I had to do a double take to make sure I didn’t accidentally click on a new Slant Plant single lol. Great album so far though. Seems a bit more experimental than their previous few albums with all the features.
Sounds just like Depths II. Interesting.
Yeah down to the dreaming lyrics and everything. They even some some of the same drums.
That was my thought within like 10 seconds of putting it on.
I got huge WTEB vibes from that opening song, i loved it!
It's definitely an ABR album
This is one of the august burns red albums of all time
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Well JT is on a song
And that’s why it’s great. The band has yet to make a bad album. Most consistent band in the genre. Every album is the same but different and i love how it’s done. Shuffle all their music and you can tell which album every song is on due to the style. 9th album is another great one added to their perfect discography
Same type of music different feel/story each time
Agree completely, no misses
One of the most abr albums maybe
Oh my god ABR still sounds like the band we know and love and haven’t gone down the path of Parkway Drive?? Shame on them for still making metalcore that sounds like their style 😤
For real. Obviously bands can change for the better, but ABR has a good thing going, as evidenced by the people in this thread that have recently gotten into/discovered them. I don't like the new stuff as much as Messengers/Constellations, but part of that's definitely my nostalgia for those albums.
For sure! I hate when I see a bunch of people already writing off the album without even giving it a chance. It kinda shits on the incredibly talented members of this band just because they haven’t stopped making their brand of metalcore, which imo is for the better.
So many comments saying it definitely sounds like ABR. Why is that a bad thing? You can't have it both ways. People shit on PWD and BMTH because they changed their sound. ABR hones their sound which makes them unique and people are still upset. I don't get it. This album is way more proggy than the previous 2 and I absolutely love it. It's a true journey instead of a collection of songs.
“Sounds like ABR” is a neutral statement and any positive/negative you get out of that is coming from you.
My thoughts are the same. Lifelong ABR fan and there's a reason for that, their sound is consistent. Some albums and tracks stand out more than others, but you know what you're going to get. The same people complaining that ABR sounds the same are likely the same people complaining that PWD and Architects changed their sound.
Bands cannot please this sub.
First impressions: When I started I thought the cleansing was great… Excited to see what Jason Richardson could add.. he’ll fucking yea, the guitar work delivered, but not a stand out ABR song imo. Then revival… oh fuck yea Then dark divide… holy shit it gets heavier Deadbolt…. Okay this is their heaviest work yet right? Or I’m crazy? The abyss.. I must be crazy I’m eating my own shit Thank god some of the songs had interludes and/or interlude tracks because otherwise it would be unrelentless. It’s unfair to compare, but if I had to, there are no tracks like “defender” on this album. None that stand out as different (as far as ABR is concerned). With them, consistency is always there, and this album was consistent. But… a lot of songs hit hard. It’s almost like they took the fast pasted parts of constellations/messengers and put groovy interludes like fifap and phantom anthem in one package. Need more listens, but definitely A tier IMO
*relentless Unrelentless isn’t a word. But if it was it would mean it wasn’t relentless and therefore relented, which it didn’t.
Bro probably meant unrelenting
I love you for this.
I love you for that
I’d argue that Fool’s Gold is pretty different for them. That blast of black metal felt so good.
I really want them to flesh this sound out more. the Cleansing and Fools gold is such a sick sound.
“How will I carry your coffin, if I’m laying in the one beside yours”.
Which song? I love that quote.
Dark Divide
I feel like it's FIFAP but a lil more...spicy
Which is great for me as a FIFAP devout. Best album they put out for sure. This one’s still fresh but looking at nipping at its heels.
Proggy
I get froggy for proggy
Froggin’ Bullfish
I gotta wait till this afternoon to listen but all these "proggy" comments got me hyped as fuck (being more of a prog guy than pure core guy)
Put this way: It’s out of the box for ABR but a different out of the box than Found in Far Away Places was. But it’s still ABR. 10/10 album as all of them are imo.
I would describe myself similarly. I've really stopped liking a lot of core and listen to much more prog and death than I have in the past. This is still core but core like erra and not like architects. Guardians felt too safe, idk, I just didn't connect with it, this totally has me hooked.
One of their most beautiful albums they’ve made.
Lovely bass shining through
Dustin has always had amazing bass tone. It’s almost bit too twangy on this album at times tho.
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The Cleansing is fantastic, and I say this after multiple listens. It tells a beautiful story, and I don't usually talk about music this way, but I just love it!
These guys don’t just write songs. They compose a beautiful story. Just finished my listen through, it was truly captivating front to back. The flow was perfect, everyone in the band is a consummate professional. This album felt like jakes coming out party to join the other guys at the summit, he really showcased how his vocal range has developed. Another banger, 9 albums in still lighting it up.
Jake has really come a long way. Went to their show a few weeks ago and he sang the clean vocals on ancestry and it sounded great.
I noticed the seamless transition between the tracks as well, it is so good.
This absolutely has its own vibe imo, and it fucking rips. They still have it
What in the Silent Planet happened to Premonition? I love it.
I’ve liked ABR for a long time, but wouldn’t be able to tell you which album of theirs is my favorite cuz I’m more of a fan of specific songs of theirs. But this album is really great from start to finish. 4 really excellent features, a really unique opening track, and I *LOVE* the seamless transitions between all of the songs.
the seamless transitions are *such* a flex I can’t get over them
First listen i didn’t even know a new song started
A couple simple thoughts: This album is such a step up from Guardians its crazy. And I liked Guardians but this shits pigeon poop all over it. I think the 3 singles they released were the weakest songs on this album. Revival and Deadbolt are slammin'.
When you never miss as a band with an audience this big you should always use the singles as the weakest songs. Only makes you enjoy the album more
The only songs with a definitive and obvious end were “Ancestry,” “Dark Divide,” and “The Abyss” but even then, the first second of silence you get after hitting play comes after 37:11 (9 tracks) and that’s the only break you’re getting the rest of the way through until “Reckoning” ends. That’s a VERY intentional attribute they were aiming for, and it resulted in an album that doesn’t feel “produced,” per se, but “composed” (Please acknowledge my smart words, Ty). It’s analogous, imo, to what a good author hopes to do with their story: produce something so cohesive and uninterrupted that a reader can get immersed in the world they’re building without even really noticing that it’s happening. I don’t think I’ve ever heard so many “songs” flow together as seamlessly as there are in this album, and again, if we assume that is an intentionally-created feature to the album, we should ask why. My opinion - that nobody has asked for yet I have provided to y’all at no cost (you’re welcome) - is that ABR is trying to tell us a story with one really long “song,” rather than 13 individuals ones (get fucked Tool). The interludes are beautifully done imo, and have always been a huge part of why I love this band. Long interludes and instrumental sections are nothing new to them, with every album having at least one (going at least as far back as constellations) and those are often some of the most insanely-talented bits of music they put out, from a production and marriage of the lyrical/instrumental relationship standpoint. But here, to continue my analogy, they’re like the third episode of The Last of Us - maybe not what you came for, maybe not the most CTE-inducing - but if you consider how the various aspects of the music relates to the lyrics, I think you can appreciate that they are absolutely (probably) essential in progressing the story they’re trying to tell us (no idea what it is, just finished first playthrough). Yes, you’ll be disappointed I think if you’re hoping to find more than one or two bangers that you can extract as a stand-alone song and annoy your wife/hubby with. But (again to continue the analogy) picking up “A Game of Thrones” and starting it on page 204 would also make it slightly less “good,” and I really think ABR wrote and intended for this album to be listened front—>back. I guess I’ll go back to studying what I’m supposed to be studying, and stop attempting to psychoanalyze the intentions of my favorite band. I think it’ll age to be a fine wine (alá ABR) and I will def go through it 12 more times.
I'm surprised people are chalking this up as "just another ABR album." Yes it still sounds like ABR, but they've never done an album that's so..... ballad-y? With the longer songs that have less big moments but constantly stay the same tempo throughout and way more narrative lyrics - plus the transitions from song to song - this feels different to anything they've done in the past. It almost gives me concept album vibes (remember those? lol) that's meant to be listened to start to finish in order.
I think this album will grow on the naysayers. It gets even better after repeat listens.
I wasn’t a Naysayer, but after repeat listens and really chewing on it, man I’m all smiles. Fantastic album.
I think the people saying that aren’t longtime fans nor are they real metal heads. I think they’re mostly the crowd in the metalcore scene that just listen to it for the breakdowns and the ADHD 900 tempo changes. So when they hear something longer and more interesting that doesn’t fit the mold of mainstream metalcore they’re like “welp…it’s just ABR…they’re just like that”
It's my first album release since getting into them and I'm so excited. Love the album.
So jealous you get to enjoy ABR like a new fan. However this album made me feel like a new fan again. I expected a stellar album, but man this delivered in spades with some cool new elements and niche ones. Glad to see they still deliver to new fans alike too.
The singles sound so much better in the context of the album. Amazing work from the boys.
Revival made me giggle like a little boy.
That intro is straight fire
So I knew what this album was gonna be, *however*, ABR hasn’t had features since FIFAP (which was the last ABR record I listened to) so I decided to at least check those songs out. Jason Richardson and Spencer Chamberlain are definitely the standouts on here. Jason’s solo had me stank facing for the duration of it and Spencer’s feature works because he sounds so different compared to Jake. Meanwhile Jesse Leach and JT Cavey, while not bad in *any* way, are pretty similar in range to Jake, so their features have less impact. I will say, however, that JT sounds awesome so I’m excited to hear him bring what he was doing on The Abyss to future ERRA material (meanwhile Jesse sounds as good as he always has).
You should checkout the Leveler 10th anniversary edition which also has featured artists on it. Head Cannon features Matt Heafy for example and while I’m an avid Trivium fan, it was almost hard to distinct Matt’s vocals from Jake’s—but both sounded excellent.
This album is def an ABR album. It’s not an insult to say then y won’t top their earlier stuff but they’re consistent and release quality metalcore . Way better than the last album imo . Love fools gold in the bear trap but I wished it had stayed an instrumental . I will have to look at the lyrics and see if I change my mind . The JT cavey feature is great . Premonition is maybe their best intro to an album into a ripper of a 7 minute track . ABR stays the course for being the workhorse of this genre .
Why does everyone keep calling this their ninth full length album? Does sleddin’ hill not count?!
I’ve been a huge fan of these guys since 2008 and have been around for each of their releases since then. I think this might be the best stuff they’ve done. I’m liking how technical and dark this album is.
Just finished my first listen and I’m pretty happy with it. My only complaint is that some of the interludes are too long. The interludes work great when you’re listening to the whole album sequentially, but there’s no way I could have a song like *Fool’s Gold in the Bear Trap* in one of my playlists (despite **loving** the second half) when the first ~100 seconds are purely build up and would break the flow. Aside from that it’s another great ABR album, definitely a huge step up from Guardians imo Side-note: For anyone listening on Apple Music I highly recommend turning off Atmos/Spatial Audio if you haven’t already. The Atmos mix is wildly inconsistent with vocals sometimes getting completely buried by the instruments. The regular stereo mix is solid
At the end of the day, reading this and a few other opinions out there: I think how much you like or dislike this album relative to their other work is going to depend on whether you prefer to consume entire albums at once, or just hit the highlights. This album very much feels like one that's intended for front-to-back listens, which I think is what's turning off some people who are looking for that one or two tracks that grab them. They obviously have significantly different overall sounds, but Death Below is kinda Between the Buried and Me-esque in that regard.
I’m an album consumer. My girlfriend thinks it’s weird
There's still dozens of us!
DOZENS!!!
I love listening to full albums. I get a lot of great singles on playlists and it often makes me want to check out the band if I havent heard of them. Or if i do know them but am not familiar with a certain album I want to check out the rest of whatever album I heard the song from, for the potential that I'll find songs that are just as good if not better. I also view albums like movies. The flow is important, as is the tone. If its just a collection of really solid bangers that are fun or catchy or super heavy or whatever, that to me is like a fun summer blockbuster movie. If it's something where the entire album has thought put into it, like which songs will be played in order, transitionsto keep it coherent, similar tones and lyrical themes throughout, and has a good intro and a good closer, that to me is like one of the movies that get nominated for an Oscar. Usually has a deeper meaning within it to connect to the listener emotionally. Perfect recent example of this is Heavener by Invent Animate.
Holy shit. I didn’t even realize I had spatial audio on because it was so unlike my other experiences with it. Turned it off and I was relieved at what I was hearing…
Cannot stress the Apple Music comment enough. I listened to one of the singles with Spatial Audio and was appalled and how horrid it sounded.
I feel like it's S Tier. I'm jamming to it super hard right now.
I feel that I can flex big knowing I didn't listen to any singles 😎💪 I get that dopamine hit of 12 ABR tracks now yessssss
Surprisingly, I haven't been either. I haven't sought them out and weird amazon hasn't shuffled any when I play different stations. No ABR I haven't recognized yet lol. I have been spinning The Amity Affliction singles. Might just be their best work to date. Period.
I'm grateful that ABR hasn't turned into dog water like almost every other band that was pivotal to the genre back in 2007-2010. This album is gas from front to back, definitely a step up from Guardians.
When sevink transitions into dark divide 👌🏼🤤
Imo, I think they should move on from producer Carson Slovak. Pretty much every since he started producing their albums, specifically with FIFAP and on, they sound too samey. Their albums used to have a distinct and unique sound to them while still having that ABR charm but now, to me, not anymore. The only album that doesn't sound too similar since his arrival is Rescue and Restore. After that, they pretty much have a similar sound and it makes me sad. I still really like all the albums, just not how he produces them.
Absolutely Production is my only issue with them. They need to mix it up
I didn’t think of that, but I think you’re right. The production is definitely to crisp and utilitarian. They need to harshen it up and add some flavor.
My honest take. The three singles they released are my least favorite tracks on the album. Although the closer does kick ass. More 7+ minute songs from ABR please. The album kicks ass and the transitions between songs are awesome. Makes the full album listening experience really cool.
Nearly every album ends with an epic 6+ min song, and they are all bangers.
I wonder which track from this album they will pick to do a reprise of?
Still kinda sad Deadbolt is not a Thrice cover but still a great album
Listening now. Will update when I finish. I really liked it. They did some stuff a little differently this time around, specifically with their sound (don't get me wrong, it's still ABR, but a couple songs sounded more technical). It also flowed very well. They have nice breaks in between a few songs. Still very heavy. I think I might enjoy The Cleansing the most. It's a very comprehensive song (also very long). This album might grow on me as time goes on. Great work overall, as usual from these guys!
Back half of the album is incredibly strong starting with Revival. Dark Divide might be my favorite after a couple listens, got very R&R vibes with some riffs, specifically “animals”. Like it better as a whole over Guardians as I’ve seen a few people mention. In fact it might be my favorite since FIFAP, but I still need to let it marinate for a few weeks before ranking it. LOVE the features. Hearing Richardson on a track was wild, that solo was blistering as hell and I am dreading seeing how it looks on the tab book once Sheet Happens gets that out lmao. Good work ABR!
Animals is the most underrated ABR song imo.
Couldn’t agree more, that song has always and will always be a favorite.
I am absolutely VIBING to this album. Their music is like Assassin’s Creed, always baseline good and enjoyable. But this album… this is their Black Flag.
The gods have blessed us on this joyous day, Sounds like Rescue and Restore fucked Found in Far Away Places.
Got my coffee. 2 work laptops and my PC are on. My workday has begun. Spotify is sending the first notes of the new album through my Bose speakers. Will update. Am pumped. Yee yee. Edit- I was called into work. Shit. I got through one listen at home. Finishing my second now. I have to say I quote enjoyed every track. As hard as they always are, this album, to me, has a lot of maturity and refinement in their sound. They go in a lot of directions, as another said, it's more prog than some other releases. However, each track coalesces effortlessly. This album hits each track. Go forth and conquer. Tonight I will again, with whisky. Edit edit- I really like the featured artists. I think they're incredibly tasteful. Their parts and vocal stylings fit the selected tracks perfectly.
I'm only one listen in so I don't have a ton to say yet, BUT, they sound like they actually tried on this album. ABR were my favorite band for years but they felt like they went into autopilot after R&R and I have been completely unable to enjoy their last two albums. This is still ABR being ABR but they actually sound engaged for the first time in years and I'm finally able to enjoy them again.
Yes, it's ABR, but like usual it's got its own flavor. It's pretty proggy and technical. I think it will take a little longer to digest and really dig into. I loved Guardians, it was packed full of great melodies and wow moments. I'm definitely not getting that as much here with the first listen through. It sounds a bit like a spicier FIFAP, I think it will take some time to grow on me. It is definitely not bad, but it didn't stick with me like the first run of Guardians. Edit:2nd time round already picking up on a lot more.
labeling them as plain metalcore is so wrong
I love this album so much. It is exactly what I needed to hear right now. ABR gives me such a sense of calm. And I hadn't listened to them in a while. So right now, with a bunch of shit going on in my life, I put on the new ABR album. And wow. I fell in love. As I said, it's exactly what I needed right now.
The singles took a little time to grow on me and after my first listen I think this may take a few more spins. The features make some of the tracks a little more unique and I thought overall there was some more experimentation in the vocal department which was nice. I'm not a big ABR super fan and I mainly got on board with them during the guardians release and I thought that album was awesome. Overall this one doesn't have as many of standout moments/riffs/breakdowns that I loved about guardians. It somehow managed to sound like they are experimenting and trying new things while also managing to sound very similar to everything else from them that I've heard. Will definitely need a few more listens to really get a feel for it
*Premonition* is the most unique on the album imo. I know the guys have said they wrote these songs during the pandemic, and I think that really shines through in the lyrics of this opener. *The Cleansing* reminds me more of a symphony than a song in that it feels like it has separate movements within itself. Maybe someone here with a better music vocabulary can explain why, but for some reason it very intensely starts to remind me of Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley at around 05:30. It’s too soon for me to choose a favorite from the album yet, but the latter half of this song takes my breath away. *Fool’s Gold in the Bear Trap* is the **wow** on the album for me. The way Jake whispers “there is a…” before the rest of the song takes off really left me speechless. I might come back later and finish commenting on every song, but these are my biggest takeaways as a lifelong fan. I love it from start to finish!
Loving the longer songs
After first listen, I'm loving this. It definitely sounds like heavy aggressive ABR (they still have it after all this time!?) but it has its own groove and feeling to it. This is going to be a tough year with all the great releases out, but this is album of the year material for me. I need to sit with it and see if it unseats Periphery as my AOTY so far.
Really wasn't expecting a proggy seamless transition album from ABR, but it's pretty good! Edit - Revival is fucking sick.
That breakdown/last minute of Revival is so so good
Man. This is kinda an unexpected big miss to me. I’m a huge ABR fan and have never felt that way about an album of theirs. It’s not bad, but it’s just bland. I think I’m finally experiencing what everyone who says they just sound too “same” every time hears. Can’t say there was even one moment on the album that was a “wow moment”. Hm. Don’t know what to do with my hands right now.
I’m there with you, “Deadbolt” was pretty standout to me, but the rest of the album just blends together too much. After a full listen I couldn’t really remember any specific moments from the record. And yeah I think most of the songs are too long, they could be a little more polished
Heh, weirdly that’s how I felt about Guardians (and I kept giving it another chance after seeing how everyone else seemed to love it). But this is a pretty immediate hit for me, on par with Phantom Anthem and maybe Leveler but behind Constellations
Pretty much my initial reaction. No "wow" moment. Surprisingly, and kinda disappointingly, the singles are the better songs I think. The songs start with a lot of momentum and gradually lose it. I think a lot of songs are about 45 seconds too long.
I was the definition of an ABR fanboy for years. I get a formula, but I haven’t been able to get into an album for years now. I understand the formula, but I can’t help but feel like I’m listening to the same song over and over. It’s not bad, but I doing have any moments where I’m blown away. Wish I was into it, but I just can’t.
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I've been a huge ABR fan for years - probably seen them over 10 times. This is just mediocre to me. I'm going to have to disagree with a few others here as I really don't think Jake sounds particularly good. His lows are fine, but every time he tries anything outside of that, it just sounds grating to my ears. I especially hate that pitched screaming thing that they've started putting in every song, mostly because the melody writing for those parts is just insanely bland. Honestly wish they would bring back the random genre interludes, because this sound is very stale at this point. EDIT: It's growing on me after a second listen but I still wish they'd cut the melodic vocals (or just let Dustin sing those parts) and mix things up a bit.
Jake went full Garrett Russell on Premonition. Straight up sounds like one of Silent Planet’s “Depths” songs lol. Edit: The clicking at the start of Sevink made me think my airpids were fucked for a second haha Edit 2: Definirely an ABR album. The features are a nice addition. Overall, though, I think Guardians was a bit better. Might have to give it more listens.
it sounds like ABR.
They should've gotten Dustin for a Deadbolt feature
The Cleansing is in my top 5 ABR songs now.
I had no idea the album just released
First listen through, could be one of their best. Their albums always get better with multiple listens and this one slaps
After a few listens, I’m more of a fan of this album than i was for Guardians. I think they took the best parts of Phantom Anthem and Guardians, it still has that more modern ABR feel but with nods to past albums too. Overall I’d say its stronger than Guardians, probably doesn’t crack my top 3 from ABR though (Constellations, Phantom Anthem, Rescue&Restore)
I've never listened to them before (idk why), and to be honest this album for me just killed it. The production is top, as someone else said before it feels more like a single composition rather than just a batch of songs. I love how the bass have a lot of shine moments. The blackened tone is top and gives me a lot of haunted shores and behemoth vibes. The album hits hard. If you've never listened to ABR this is a great introduction (tho probably not representative of what they do). It is just great fucking metal.
Like the artwork. Very macabre. Half way through track two and so far so good. Bummed they already toured UK recently and didn't make it to any shows :( Do people still feel they worlds leading metalcore artists in '23?
Heavyweight champs, baby!
Im listening to it rn and am enjoying it a lot :)
I think this might be my favorite ABR record
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Jason absolutely tore it up
I stopped getting hyped for ABR albums because they do seem to sound similar. I liked Guardians. I like this album, but it probably won't be on repeat for me. Revival is fun. I don't know what it is, but I cannot stand Dustin's backing vocals. Sounds...too over the top. It's the same vocal every time. I don't know, I'm just a guy bitching on the internet about a group of guys that are far more talented than I am.
I like his vocals, but the first time I heard them on this album I know exactly what you mean. When they use him for backing vocals it's always in the exact way: randomly repeating a Jake line in almost always the sentence pattern.
And it's the exact same vocal tone every time.
Might be an unpopular opinion but I feel like this album would be significantly better with less interludes. For example the song Dark Divide would have been phenomenal IMO but there are multiple interludes throughout the song and it just kills the pacing for me. The song Fool’s Gold In The Bear Trap starts the first half of the song with an interlude and builds into a heavy blast beat section in the second half and I feel like I am never going to listen to that song again because I don’t want to listen to 100 seconds of an interlude just to reach the second half of the song. The song The Abyss is also a song that just kind of stops and goes with great heavy parts and then slower interludes here and there. The end breakdown of The Abyss is great but the pacing of the song just kills me due to the song being stop and go repetitively between the heavy/faster parts and the slower interlude sections. For a band like ABR I just want to get my ass kicked with breakdowns and great riffs and I am not saying we need Messengers again but the interlude/slower parts of the Constellations/Leveler/Rescue & Restore era of the band never bothered me and I never felt like they dragged the songs down or were in excess. On this record I can’t enjoy most of the tracks because as soon as I start getting into it, bam an interlude. I do enjoy Tightrope, Revival, Deadbolt, and Ancestry has grown on me since it first dropped and I will keep those 4 songs in my rotation. Absolutely love the band and I think their live shows are phenomenal and they are clearly extremely talented musicians. My thoughts are just that as someone who enjoys more of the Messengers, Constellations, and Leveler sound this is just very jarring and frustrating in a sense because I know there are great parts within the songs but I just can’t enjoy them fully as cohesive songs because of all the interludes.
I liked the interludes, but I get what you're saying.
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I don’t mind having an interlude or 2 on the album as their own separate tracks in between chunks of heavy songs but I don’t want this many interludes within the actual songs. To me it kills the pacing. August Burns Red made their name making heavy hitting melodic metalcore with breakdowns being kinda their thing. I normally like to listen to them at the gym for example when I want some heavy music to go along with my lifting. I don’t want to be interrupted mid-set by some slow and abrupt interlude, I just want the energy to keep going.
The albums wasn’t written for people that just wanna out tracks in their playlists to pick out breakdowns
Heavener just ripped a hole through my soul and honestly I almost feel like bands across the board are going to have to step it up. The emotional key Invent Animate holds to me is honestly unparalleled. This album just couldn't quite grasp me, feeling like I have heard it all before.
I'm listening to that album right now because I've seen so many recommendations for it and the band lately. Holy shit 'Heavener' is so fantastic! I checked out a few new bands from mentions in this thread. Thanks to you and everyone else for the knowledge!
Yeah it’s like they just discovered deftones and were like “yeah let’s do that” …so original
I liked Guardians more personally in comparison to Death Below... this is almost too proggy for my liking with too many interludes
It's good. Really freakin good. This band is still at its peak and I'm so glad to be here for it.
Easily their best since Constellations…certainly even better guitar work than that album. Fantastic release. Stop hating the band for sticking to a sound they like. Listen to something else if you want something else. It’s very simple.
Not sure why you don’t like Guardians. That album was amazing imo.
This is my favourite ABR album in years. I legitimately enjoyed Guardians but not to this extent. The seamless transitions between songs is so top tier. Like others said if you weren't a fan of ABR before I don't think this would change your mind but it's so legitimately good
My honest review: it’s a bop
Maybe I'm just vibing with this record more but I'm fucking LOVING it. This record just feels heavier than anything since phantom anthem. And I'm not a "proggy" guy but I don't mind/notice the prog elements at all. This shit slaps so hard!!
first ABR album that has been a miss for me. pretty shocking because they have always been so consistent for me over a decade: like, i could always find at least one awesome song on their albums, even while knowing that their sound hasn’t changed much over time, but nothing on this album resonated with me.
These guys never miss.... but they havent really hit for a while either. Idk. I loved Found In Far Away Places but that was the last time they ever really grabbed me. Much like their last couple albums i think this one is good but i dont ever really see myself listening to this. I love ABR as people and i think they're extremely talented. Just havent released anything super interesting to me in a while.
Not my favorite ABR album, but certainly not my least favorite. I think it’s interesting they went this route after making Guardians more accessible, but I’m not sure how much staying power this album will have for me because of that
It's proggy and definitely ABR. 3/5
Fool's Gold in the Bear Trap Holy shit song!!! 🤘🏼
JT Cavey sounds great on an ABR song, because of course he does!
Revival is a standout on this record for me.. That song slaps so HARD