(antiMusic) August Burns Red's new album, Constellations hits stores this week. To celebrate the release we asked JB Brubaker and Matt Greiner to pick some of their favorite tracks from the album and tell us the stories behind the songs. They more than came through! Here is today's song "Ocean Of Apathy": JB Brubaker "Ocean of Apathy" is probably my favorite song on the record. It's also probably the weirdest song we've ever written stylistically. I had a really hard time writing a beginning to this song. Everything else was written and I was happy with it, but I had complete writers block for an opening riff. I probably tried five different riffs before I settled on starting the song out with a part that returns later in the song, but in a different key.
This song has a ton of over the top melodic guitar work in it, which is probably why I think it's so cool. I was really excited about the first solo in the song. I still think it's the best melodic shred part I've ever written but I guess that's not for me to decide.
The clean middle section of this song seems to throw everyone for a loop the first time they hear it. It is easily the most "out there" thing we've ever done as a band since we seldom play clean. The part was originally written as a dirty black metal progression, but I was jamming it on the clean channel one day and really liked the bluesy feel it had. I wasn't sure if the rest of the band was going to be into the blues lead over top of the clean part but everyone seemed to like it and we went with it.
Suecof (our producer) was really excited to use the tremolo effect on the clean guitars which is an effect we've never used before. I think it gives the part kind of a surfy feel which I like a lot.
Matt Greiner The lyrics for Ocean of Apathy are straightforward. I think it's absurd how easily swayed people are in their beliefs. People sugarcoat the truth to make it more accessible, more universal to the masses. Meanwhile "everything true and complete is cut out
left to drown in an ocean of apathy." It's absolutely fundamental that we know what we believe, know why we believe it, and most importantly, have the courage and persistence to not abandon it when apathy washes all the colors together.
I think this is one of our most dynamic songs to date. JB's guitar solo mid-way through the song elevates the song to a new, melodious level for us as a band. From its thrashy, Euro-metal parts, to its jazzy, groove oriented parts, this song covers lots of ground.
Learn more about the band, preview tracks from the album and more - right here!
