Pennsylvania’s August Burns Red recently released their new album ‘Rescue & Restore‘ via Solid State / Shock. They’ve been out on the US Warped Tour to launch it and will soon head over to Europe to continue their touring. Drummer Matt Greiner took the time to answer our On The Record questions this week. Expand this post to take a read of his answers. You can grab a copy of the album online [Here].
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Got Spotify? Listen while you read about the album.
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Tell us about the release title.
Rescue & Restore is a title that came about as a result of the lyrics from a song on the record called, “Creative Captivity.” The song is about giving more attention to art in schools and putting funding back into the arts.
Tell us about the artwork.
Invisible Creature has been doing our artwork for years. They sent us the artwork pitch for this record and explained the significance of the artwork. In their words, “You have to release something broken in order for it to be beautiful and for it to really soar.” All throughout the record you see this parallel theme of beauty becoming ‘uncaged’ and coming into it’s own.
What format/s will it be released on and how will it be packaged?
The album is already out and is in many amazing forms. There were a limited amount of pre-order vinyl in a special box-set. There are multiple colors in the vinyl available online and at your local music stores. The standard CD is packaged with beautiful artwork designed by Invisible Creature. Of course the record is also available via iTunes online!
Who will it be released through, and when?
The album was released on 6/25/13 and is available online worldwide and at a music store near you.
Tell us about the studio and why you chose to record there?
We recorded at Atrium Audio in Lancaster, PA. We are from Lancaster and have worked with Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland for many years. We recorded a Christmas record with them last year and deemed it a good idea to finally record a full-length ABR album. Perfect timing, perfect location, and perfect people made it the best scenario we could have asked for.
Tell us about the producer / engineer and why you chose to record with them?
Carson recorded some of our earliest music as a band. In fact, I think we were one of the very first bands he ever recorded with ProTools in 2004 or so. Carson and continuously been getting better at what he does and we’ve been progressing as a band and the timing just seemed to work out.
Did you go into the writing process with a clear direction in mind?
JB had written most of the songs before we even entered the studio. I was dedicated to writing drums for the entire record before even going into track drums, similarly to the process I followed in recording Messengers in 2007. When we got to the studio we knew what the songs were sounding like and were happy with how everything was turning out.
Were you listening to anything in particular during the writing / recording process that influenced the songs at all?
I have always like progressive music and was looking forward to writing drums to some of the more linear and progressive songs JB had laid out. When I started writing I just put stick to drum and really dug in. I didn’t think too much about influences or styles, I just played what I felt was appropriate and most interesting.
Were there any albums you were referencing to aim for a certain type of sound production wise?
With every CD we record we find ourselves referencing other records that we like the sound of. Some of the CDs that I think sound awesome include The Agony Scene – The Darkest Red and Killswitch Engage – The End Of Heartache.
How long did you spend in the studio recording?
I spent about 3 days in pre-production 7 days recording drums. We worked a few 14-hour days and definitely worked hard at getting the best possible takes and drum tones we could.
Tell us a little about the recording process the band used?
We setup all the click tracks in pre-production first. After we have the songs laid out we start tracking drums. Bass and guitar come next followed by vocals. At the end of each session we listen to each song and give our respective comments.
Was this any different to previous processes you have used?
No, we actually followed a fairly routine schedule in recording R&R. We are familiar with recording and most engineers we’ve worked with have followed similar templates in recording albums.
Any guests involved? if so, who.. and what did they do?
We did have one guest on the record. Adam Gray from Texas In July played drums on the song Echoes. I have always wanted to include him on an August Burns Red and was glad to finally get the chance to do so.
Any particular equipment outside your usual live gear used in the process?
Yes there was! I used more percussion instruments than I ever knew even existed! JB used a Chinese harp and Grant recorded several amazing sounding stringed instruments.
Any memorable studio moments?
I was tracking drums for the last track on the record called ‘The First Step’. I was about halfway through the song when I broke a stick in half. I was playing really well (which isn’t usually the case) so I just kept recording. The song turned out sounding really good and you could never guess that I broke a stick during that song.
Any additional tracks recorded that didn’t make the cut but may see the light of day sometime?
No. We put all the songs that we recorded on the record!
What track/s are you most looking forward to playing live?
We are currently playing Provision on our current tour. I love playing that song so much. It’s kind of an oddity because of it’s dynamics and some of the melodies but I really enjoy it. I am also looking forward to playing Beauty In Tragedy.
How would you compare the final product to previous releases?
I think that this our best sounding record to date. Overall the tones of every instrument played on the record came out sounding so good and crystal clear.
Anything else you want to say or about the release?
Pick up Rescue & Restore in a music store near you! Thank you for the support.
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AUGUST BURNS RED – ‘Rescue And Restore‘
Available now through Shock Records / Solid State Records.
Grab it on CD [Here].
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