Ace Augustine

Young and full of vigour, Ace Augustine do more than just show promise on their debut full-length; they deliver unexpected quality. Perhaps the bar was set so low for this young Pennsylvanian five-piece that anything resembling music would have been a pleasant surprise. Well, despite low expectations, The Absolute is actually an admirable album and a great beginning for this tech-metal outfit. The drumming stands out from track-to-track; its pinpoint precision and seamless tempo changes helping raise the album's overall intensity. The guitar work doesn't overwhelm with riff-overload ("Axioms," "Looks Promising") and when they venture into more hardcore-leaning tracks ("Delorean," "Senior Year At Sky City"), the momentum isn't lost. While Ben Mosers's vocals need improvement, so as to deliver the gut-wrenching quality in "Justifiers" on a consistent basis, Ace Augustine are off to a fine beginning.