August Burns Red “Phantom Anthem”

While they should certainly be credited with pioneering the melodic metal and hardcore community at a time where chugs and breakdowns were all anybody knew, August Burns Red intensifies their brand of guitar noodling, and drum flare to new terrain. Album opener is an instant standout in the band’s catalogue, showcasing progressive elements found on Symphony X and Nevermore records. While the main skeleton of their sound remains intact, this brand of metal litters the record throughout, showing a development highly comparable to what Between The Buried And Me did on Colors. While it’s unfortunate that the vocal department continues to stay one dimensional, but the rest of the band is clearly in some of the best shape they’ve ever been in resulting in one of the best records in the band’s prolific career.