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ALBUM REVIEW: "Phantom Anthem" by August Burns Red

   Being one of the first "heavy" bands I listened to as a younger teenager, I have a special appreciation for and always give attention to August Burns Red when they release anything, and I honestly think I have actually come to appreciate them more as I have grown and my tastes have expanded. Their music has stood the test of time for me when a huge amount of other music in the genre has fallen into obscurity for me; there is something about their sound and approach to the metalcore genre that transcends the tropes and cliches that so many other bands get trapped in. So naturally I have been anxious to put this new album in and start chewing on whatever new direction they push their songwriting. More and more August Burns Red have been experimenting with different eclectic instrumental sections - 2011's Leveler (the weakest of their albums in my opinion) had the first notable foray into a salsa groove, 2013's Rescue & Restore (my favourite of theirs) experimented with traditional Chinese instrumentation, and Found In Far Away Places went full whacky with surf rock and Eastern European sections. It was an interesting revelation then, when I found Phantom Anthem was decidedly lacking in the weirdness area - but this isn't simply another more straight-forward Messengers-like record. If anything, this is both the densest most dynamic ABR record to date. It's equal parts heavy and introspective, and another exciting step forward for the genre without breaking the wheel. In another year saturated with samey metalcore albums that all sound the same, Phantom Anthem is exciting on first listen, sure to get the mosh pit sweaty and sore, and has the staying power and density to allow for repeated listens and exploration. From a songwriting point of view, guitarist JB Brubaker's compositions are some of the most technical he has written, but also some of the most emotive moments in their discography find their way into the tracklisting. Lyrically, there is no surprise in the fact that there are an abundance of analogies and stories that are almost certainly intensely personal and specific, but ambiguous enough for them to easily mould to the listener and allow for interpretation and adaptation. Of course the frameworks of the genre still apply, and there are significant portions of the album that are content to exist within this framework without struggling. Slick playing and crossovers to thrash, beatdown and even death metal let these sections sit nicely without feeling stale or reused. Overall, I really enjoyed Phantom Anthem not only as an ABR fan but as a fan of heavy music exhausted by the number of crap albums released every year. 


   Favourite Tracks: King of Sorrow, The Frost, Lifeline, Invisible Enemy, Coordinates and Dangerous


   Least Favourite Track: Quake

   Rating: 8/10

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