I’m sure you’ve caught yourself saying things like “…yeah, but it’s not like their old stuff” or “I think their first albums were better.” Well, you’d be right most of the time. Like all rules there are exceptions, and to those exceptions I’ll still yell, “Play your old shit!” Ten years have passed since August Burns Red’s almighty Constellations blew apart the Metalcore scene and set a bar that can’t be hurdled over, even today.
The band has since released ground-breaking albums on a constant basis. Constellations has always been a fan favorite that’s consumed every set list over the band’s seemingly endless tour schedule.
Along with a remix of the pinnacle album, this year is also being taken over by the 10 Years of Constellations Tour making its way around the world. One of the first nights aligned the stars at The House of Blues in Las Vegas. Also on the bill was Silent Planet and the always solid Silverstein.
Silent Planet
Silent Planet are unique sound that fit the bill perfectly. Their notes seem calm individually, but together they make a chaotic roars that tell instrumental stories.
Combine that with vocals that go from an almost La Dispute-esk poetic spit, and then into just straight Metalcore screaming. they bring an energy that started the crowd up immediately.
“Orphan” and “Panic Room” brought the movement and gave an already itching few a chance to start the pits off for the night. What caught my attention during the set was so get Garrett’s humble thanks to the crowd before leaving off with “Depths II”.
“Thank you so much for your time with us tonight. In a town where you can buy almost anything, the one thing you can’t buy is time. So we thank you for spending your time with us tonight.”
Silverstein
A headlining act in their own right, Silverstein reigns over a place in anyone under 30’s heart to this day. When Broken Is Easily Fixed is old enough to go to high school now. And if you asked me, it sounds like these guys released it yesterday.
“Smashed Into Pieces” sounds better coming from singer Shane Told today then it did when I illegally downloaded it on Napster in 2003. Honestly, it’s stunning how good he sounds, going from clean to dirty transitions through classics that had plagued our relationship mix CDs and eventually the “High School Dayz” playlist on our Spotify.
“My Heroine” was an immediate crowd grabber that had everyone reaching to the skies. Everyone screamed out the anthem at the top of their lungs. Ending with their latest Dead Reflections track “The Afterglow” left the crowd itching for more. If ABRs arrival somehow got delayed, they could have played for another hour without a beat being missed.
August Burns Red
Here we go! Ten years of Constellations marinating the tender meat of our minds has led up to cooking time. And boy was this meal juicy!
The first crash of “Thirty and Seven” immediately opened up the pit. It moved the entire venue into a frenzy that has been coordinated in our minds for so long. Every climb of the guitar and blast from the drums so embedded into our heads it seems like we choreographed the pit over the weekend.
Before you know it, “Ocean of Apathy” is melting your face off with the sickest opening riff in existence. Into the classic “White Washed” with the crowd chanting every word along with Jake through the cries “Don’t say another word you’ve crossed the line!”
“Mariana’s Trench” brought another crowd favorite sing-a-long. All the way through to “Meddler” there was no stop. Even an appearance from Jake on bass for “Meridian”.
From front to back in all of its glory, Constellations. Capped off by a drum solo from Matt Greiner and Messengers’ “Composure”, this was surely a night that will live on for the next 10 years.
Take another listen to “Constellations” below, and keep up on the band HERE!
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PHOTO CREDIT: All photos by Courtney Ware for ZRockR Magazine, All Rights Reserved.