Customer Reviews

Messengers

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

august burns red releases their sophmore effort "messengers" and it does not dissapoint. A couple of things changed since their last release in this album:

-New Vocalist

-New Bass Player

-ABR adds more melody

Its safe to say that this album is more melodic then "thrill seeker" but it is also way more metal. don't worry, these guys don't start singing at any point, its still the same brutal ABR that you know from their previous work. they still throw breakdowns in at random places and they still appear several times in each songs. The drummer is still amazingly good and amazingly fast.

here is a run down of the album:

1. Truth of a Liar - 9/10

Great opener. Great lyrics, the guitar work is melodic and yet brutal at the same time during the pause for the solo after the ending breakdown

2. Up against the Ropes 10/10

Sick. This song is like 6 songs all rolled into one. There is a breakdown almost every 30-45 seconds. I'm not joking. Brutal song.

3. Back Burner - 9/10

Brutal, dark song. The new vocalist, Jake, growls deeply several times during the song, a different but amazing additon to the bands sound. A very cool sounding breakdown at the end.

4. The Blinding Light - 9/10

A good tight song with an awesome ending breakdown. Good guitar work. A song which proves they went more "metal" with this album than the previous one. Nice breakdown at the end.

5. Composure 10/10

Great stuff here. Sounds like "thrill seeker". Drum work is awesome, going from breakdown to fast pounding. Nice Guitar work at the end.

6. Vital Signs 9/10

The first time i heard this song, i was like "eh, okay." Then i took a closer listen and it grew on me alot. Reminds me somewhat of Unearth at some points. Guitar work is frantic along with drum work.

7. The Eleventh Hour - 10/10

Amazing song. The song starts of fast which leads to a SICK breakdown halfway through the song. This whole song is brutal, Jakes vocals, the drum work, if your downloading random songs, this is the one to preview first.

8. The Balance 9/10

A more Melodic Song. A lot of Guitar work, but still a fast brutal tight song. A good solid melodic song from these guys. 0

9. Black Sheep 10/10

An amazing passionite song. Starts of with guitar work then jumps right into a breakdown. One of the most brutal songs on the album, an ending breakdown with lyrics that give me chills. Amazing stuff. My Favorite of the album.

10. An American Dream 10/10

Sounds like "thrill seeker." Brutal song, nice and tight sounding, with breakdowns thrown in at every corner you turn. Very cool sounding guitar work about 1:45, right when Jake yells, "ohh!". Nice tight song.

11. Redemption 10/10

Not as brutal as "thrill seeker"'s finale, but still a great song. They went with the more Melodic route and its a nice touch as the song sounds extremely passionite. A great ending to a great album.

In the end, is this better then Thrill Seeker? I don't know yet, i know its much more than a satisfying release from these guys. I also know its not leaving my CD player for like 3 months. It's slighly more melodic then Thrill Seeker, but as for the claim it sounds like Killswitch Engage?

No, not in the least. I don't know what that reviewer was talking about.

This is honestly one of the most brutal albums i've heard in a while. Do yourself a favor. Go to your nearest store and pick it up. It's that good.

Do it, like, now.

I preordered an autographed copy of this album directly from the band and I am hoping that it will be in the mail today when I get home from work. I have however listened to the entire album through an online stream that the band had advertised through their myspace.

I was really curious as to how the band would follow up their epic debut album Thrill Seeker, which happens to be one of my favorite albums in my music collection. I honestly didn't think that August Burns Red, or any band for that matter, could put together another album that would live up to a freshman debut such as Thrill Seeker.

The Good news is that this album definitely lives up to their first album. I am not ready to say that it is better because I have only listened to the album once and since it was an online stream, I could not have fully appreciated the album production. I think that the band has matured a little and has even stepped up the skill and technicality of their music, which I was excited to hear because I was afraid that the band had hit a glass ceiling in that department on their first album, which would have been very unfortunate.

The addition of new vocalist Jake is a great addition to the band. He is a much better screamer with a much better range. Jake makes up for what I think was the only shortcoming of the first album. Another good thing is that the lyrical composition style, which I really enjoyed on the first album, is nearly the same yet much more dynamic.

The new album is technical, melodic, and BRUTAL. It sounds like ABR but it doesn't sound like Thrill Seeker. It is the perfect follow up to an amazing freshman effort. Bands like this make metalcore still worth listening to. This album will probably be the years best metalcore release so if you enjoy the genre, pick it up.

ABR's latest is no disappointment and reminds us metalcore is still here and making progress. In my opinion this album is more brutal than the last, and the new vocalist does prove to be more versatile. Every track sounds great, you can read some of the other reviews here for better descriptions; this is one you can listen to straight though. Not to mention, these guys are from my hometown, so it's amazing to see them getting this kind of recognition.

Let me just say that I'm new to this genre of music and this CD is ABSOLUTELY the best sounding and most captivating thus far in my search for fantastic hardcore music. You will NEVER find music this crisp and well produced, without losing ANY raw intensity. If you do think you know of a more crisp clean sound in this genre, message me, because i would be fascinated in knowing about it.

Yes, the songs do sound fairly similar at first, but as you listen more and more, distinctions become more and more obvious. Lets talk about the songs.

THE TRUTH OF A LIAR - Immediately we are Introduced to ABR's great riffing, and you can hardly help but move your body to this captivating intro. The rest of the song holds up well. Great! 8.5/10

UP AGAINST THE ROPES - This song will blow you away! constant break downs and tempo changing, complex riffs and drum fills. A memorable section is when Jake screams "We've Forgiven you, so forgive yourself!" over adrenaline pumping riffs. Best song! 10/10

BACK BURNER - Probably the darkest song on the CD (Listen at 3:10 and you will know what i'm talking about). Great Tune nonetheless with fantastic guitar fills and breakdowns. 9/10

THE BLINDING LIGHT - What stands out most to me in this track are 1. The syncopated guitar riffs/drum beats that play out through the song, all at different tempos. 2. The almost claustrophobic lyrics. I won't go into detail. Interesting song. 8.5/10

COMPOSURE - If you have heard a song from this Cd already, it's most likely this first single. It's very passionate and the lyrics are easily applicable to alot of situations and relatable to just about anyone. Awesome guitar riffs stand out. 9.5/10

VITAL SIGNS - It pains me to say this is my least favourite on the album because it is really captivating with its higher pitched guitar hooks and intricate riffing. For some reason, it is just the least memorable after i've listened to the album. Still a great song. 8/10.

THE ELEVENTH HOUR - My initial favourite from the album. Unbelievable energy in this song. Right from the first mind blowing scream. Unrivaled guitar playing in this song and fantastic drum intro. The only thing that prevents this from being my favourite on the album is that it can feel a little preachy to sinning christians or Atheists (like myself). still 10/10

THE BALANCE - This is just simply a great metal song. Nice melody yet not compromising in brutality. Wicked breakdown outro that will be sure to get your blood moving. 9/10

Black Sheep - Probably the most intense and passionate Intro as Jake screams "You've Fallen captive, You've fallen captive to what you thought would clean your slate!" Awesome thought short lived. 9.5/10

AN AMERICAN DREAM - Intense, complex, unpredicatable? All of the above! Fantastic breakdowns, the song changes tempo more than any other song (except maybe up against the ropes). Thought-provoking lyrics that appear to be about the controlling and manipulative American government. Sick! 9/10

REDEMPTION - Possibly the greatest and most passionate closer to an album i've ever heard. Brutal at times and slow, building and epic at others. In fact, i think epic is the perfect word to describe this song. It builds to a spine tingling finale. Beautiful. 10/10

If you're wondering about purchasing this album and love Hardcore, this is as fine as it gets. Perfect Vocals, intricate yet compelling guitar riffs and mind blowing drumming. GET IT!

August Burns Red's second full length album "Messengers" establishes the band out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania as a forced to be reckoned with in the Metalcore scene. Fans of "Thrill Seeker" wont find anything to be dissapointed with here, the style is pretty much the same but a little less heavy. For fans new to ABR, well you've been missing out. They're an extremely technical band but the music never gets redundant or over the top. All of the songs are mid to fast paced and riddled with breakdowns. Matt Griener is an insanely good drummer and a big highlight of the album. He left me with my jaw open several times throughout the album. The new singer (don't worry Thrill Seeker fans you'll like him) is a pretty good screamer. He stays mostly in the mid-low register but he does occasionaly go for some high screeches. He also does some clean singing (or should I say talking?) but it's very few and far. The guitarists are once again fantastic. They're very melodic and throughout the album we're treated to intricate and epic leads and riffs but at times they get downright nasty. It almost reminds me of In Flames' "Colony" because it's melodic but very heavy at the same time, only ABR is a good several dozen times faster (If you like Messengers I suggest you look into Colony).

The album starts off with "The Truth of a Liar" and it gets us ready for whats to come. It's a great song and one of my personal favorites. This would be a good song to download to see what these guys sound like. After that comes "Up Against The Ropes" which can best be described as playing bumper cars blindfolded. Tons of breakdowns unexpectedly pop up throughout, definitely one of the heavier tracks. Other highlights include "Composure" probably the most melodic song, check out the music video for this one it's pretty cool, and "Redemption" the six-minute plus closer which is nothing short of a masterpiece. The lyrics are very passionate and Jake Luhrs sings them with great emotion. The entire album has very good lyrics and, as you probably already know, they're a Christian band. But remember "Christian isn't a type of music, I've met several people who wont listen to Christian bands simply because they're Christian. If that's the case with you then ignore the lyrics and just enjoy the music.

Now the only reason why I don't give this a full five stars is because the breakdowns all seem to sound very similar and, like another reviewer said, the drummer uses the cymbal crash the same way on practically every breakdown. But that can easily be ignored because he did a masterful job on the rest of the album.

August Burns Red could very well be your new favorite band. I've been listening to Messengers non stop for a while now and trust me it's good music. If you like it I recommend "Alaska" by Between The Buried And Me, "Plagues" by The Devil Wears Prada, and like I previously said "Colony" by In Flames. Keep a lookout for ABR's new album coming out spring 2009.

I really like this album. They are very heavy, melodic, rhythmatic, and good lyrics. I think most people would categorize ABR as metalcore, and I don't listen to much metalcore because they often sound similar to some extent, but ABR would be on the top of the list of metalcore bands I listen to, just because they are just straight-out metalcore. If I wanted to listen to metalcore, I don't want to go through different metalcore artists, but I would just listen to this whole album. Every song has a billion different break-downs in some form. Sometimes just plain heavy break-down, sometimes with a catchy melody in it, which is the best in my opinion. Sometimes I get sick of it though, because they seriously have a TON of break-downs, but I like to listen to it in doses. Anyway hope this was helpful

Awesome cd. The sound quality is great, and the songs were, clearly, created and played by some really talented, and experienced musicians in this genre. I love listening to this whole album. My favorites are probably Truth Of A Liar, Back Burner, Composure, The Eleventh Hour, The Balance, An American Dream, and Redemption. Which is, I know, like half the album, but that just shows you how good it is.

THE SECOND ALBUM FROM AUGUST BURNS RED THE BAND AGAIN STEPS UP AND AMAZES ME TO HOW MUCH THEY CAN PROGRESS, I SUGGEST THAT ANYONE WHO IS A FAN OF THIS BAND OR OF THIS STYLE OF MUSIC SHOULD BUY THIS ALBUM IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT.

This album is amazing from start to finish! I highly recommend you buy this, and buy it now. Amazing!

August Burns Red - THE best Christian metalcore you can buy IMHO. I've listened to all the others I can find in this genre and can't find a group that I like better. Becoming the Archetype is on the same level of awesomeness, but they have a different approach to their music I think.

This is the first album I heard from ABR. If I could, I would give this 4.5 stars only because their newest release "Constellations" is even better and a perfect 5 stars. Keep up the great work guys!