Guardians

2005年デビューの米メタルコア・バンド August Burns Red の9thアルバム
「Defender」、「Bones」収録

2017年アルバム『Phantom Anthem』以来3年ぶりの9thアルバム。さらに進化を遂げた、過去最高の傑作となる可能性を秘めた超期待作。

The Lancaster, Pennsylvania metalcore giants eighth full-length effort and the follow-up to 2017s Grammy Award-nominated Phantom Anthem, Guardians unleashes all of the heaviness and technical prowess that fans have come to expect from August Burns Red over the last 17 years. Commencing with a familiar orbital melodic guitar lead, The Narrative kicks things off in typically grandiose fashion, administering copious amounts of double kick drum-fueled chaos that eventually detonates into a soaring life/death- affirming chorus. Its textbook ABR, but its executed with a level of craftsmanship that should earn reluctant praise from even the most ardent modern metal contrarian. The kinetic Bones impresses with its relentless gait and steely gang vocals, as does the noodly Extinct by Instinct, which utilizes a more progressive metal aesthetic; its also an excellent showcase for the bands always-stellar rhythm section. Elsewhere, the fiery Ties That Bind unleashes whiplash-inducing moments of djent-rified riffage, the churning Lighthouse slows everything down and even gets bit emo, but the intensity never wavers, and epic closer Three Fountains seals the deal with a six-and-a-half minute blast of symphonic melancholia that leaves a cavernous sonic footprint in its wake. August Burns Reds particular brand of metalcore, one that favors melody and positivity over atonal angst, hasnt changed much over time -- the metalcore genre itself is as calculated as it is explosive -- but Guardians delivers 11 good-to-great reasons why that formula has worked for so long. ~ James Christopher Monger