August Burns Red rolls through Southern California

Are you sick of the same old song and dance from the boring music nowadays?  Then maybe you should give metalcore a try.  Choruses are minimal, backing instruments are highlighted in many songs and the aggressiveness is always top notch.

If you don’t enjoy the sounds of brutal, heavy metal music with loud screams and roars, you should steer clear of this article.  You have been warned.

The five-piece Pennsylvanians called August Burns Red (ABR) brought their latest tour to the Orange County Observatory in Santa Ana on Friday, in support of their sixth studio album, “Rescue & Restore,” released in June.

The entire floor exploded when the band opened their set with “Provision,” off the new album.  From then on, chaos reigned supreme, as the band nor audience never slowed down.  It was a collaborative effort from both parties involved to make the show a memorable experience.

“Beauty in Tragedy,” “Spirit Breaker,” “Animals” and “Fault Line” were the other newer songs the band played.

Even though their latest album was released just under five months ago, much of the audience sang-along to the newer songs, sometimes word-for-word.  Lead singer Jake Luhrs seemed to love this and swung his microphone towards the crowd to let them take over the vocal duties.

Lead guitarist JB Brubaker always rocks the stage in flip-flops, but don’t let his image fool you.  He can play one mean guitar with his shredding skills.  He gets to show off work in many of ABR’s songs such as “Empire” and “Meddler,” both of which the band played.

Another vital member to the band is drummer Matt Greiner.  Like Brubaker, Greiner shines on his instrument.  He proves his dominance on the drums time after time and never slows down.  After 14 songs, Greiner got the stage to himself for a drum solo.  A near three minute set of him dazzling the ears of the fans was a real treat.

The band rejoined Greiner on stage after his solo to play “White Washed,” which the fans were demanding all night.  This song is ABR all in one.  It shows off how experienced each band member is and why they are one of the more popular metalcore bands.

Leaving the stage after this song, the band returned for an encore to play their biggest hit, “Composure,” off their breakthrough album, “Messengers.”

Of course, like any other ABR show, the band played as many songs as they could in the allotted time.  Even though they did surpass just over an hour, the band managed to fit 15 songs and a drum solo into their set.

This tour saw support from Beartooth, Defeater and Blessthefall.

As mentioned by Blessthefall lead singer Beau Bokan, this is the ninth tour that his band has been on with August Burns Red.

“Rescue & Restore” is August Burns Red’s most successful album to date, reaching No. 9 on Billboard’s Top 200 in its first week sales.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV2YyMVKDSo&feature=em-upload_owner

All photos and videos by Corey Kleinsasser

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