It’s their seventh album, but August Burns Red are still as abrasive and offbeat as they ever were.
Found In Far Away Places wastes no time in getting down to business with The Wake, an aggressive lament that appears to draw on climate change for inspiration. Almost no subject matter is off-limits in their lyrics, from depression to societal issues.
The Martyr brings things down a notch with a Zeppelin-esque breakdown mid-track – a device the track Identity also dabbles with, but the latter is more Judas Priest on acid than Jimmy Page. ABR take obvious pride in the quirks, switching up rhythms unexpectedly and playing with metal clichés. If those quirks grind your gears, you should give this record a wide berth; almost every song, apart from the epic Ghosts, is punctuated with a slow mid-section for the band to show off their musical diversity. Don’t be put off, though – this is, at its heart, an emotionally charged thrillride of a record.
