The Pitch: Minnesota metalcore masters After The Burial continue to flex their prowess with a another solid new album via Sumerian Records. Get more recommendations in this style on our new video HERE.
What I Like: Few metalcore bands around since the early 2000's still make worthwhile material, and even fewer manage to top themselves with each new album. In that latter category I count only two: August Burns Red and today's topic, After The Burial. Despite the tragic loss of the incredibly talented guitarist Justin Lowe, this crew continues to plug along stronger than ever with 2016's Dig Deep and now 2019's Evergreen. Insanely consistent, the band hasn't skipped a beat in delivering their own special dichotomy of aggression and transcendence. Once more we are treated to both fierce, bouncy djent roasters like "In Flux" and powerfully melodic motivators like "11:26." The former has riffs that sound like a revving lawn mower... in a good way. And damn does that opening track hit like a ton of bricks. It's no wonder they chose "Behold The Crown" as the lead single with its squeeling guitar intro and infectious grooves. Talk about putting your best foot forward, and it's a fair summation of what to expect of the album as a whole.
Critiques: It's still early to tell, but at this point I'd put Dig Deep and of course Rareform over Evergreen. I'm not sure the same memorability factor is quite there on some of these tracks, but even so it's a close third. After The Burial aren't really pushing their stylistic boundaries in the same way that August Burns Red has been in recent years.
The Verdict: You always know what you're in for with After The Burial, and at the end of the day that ends up being both a pro and a con. I'd be interested to see the band spread their wings just a little bit more, but even so metalcore fans can't go wrong with Evergreen. In what's shaping up to be a solid year for the genre, it's likely to be among the best releases. Also watch the video below for more recommendations for fans of the AtB sound.
Flight's Fav's: Behold The Crown, Exit, Exist, In Flux
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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