There are a galaxy's worth of metal bands active today. But stare at all of those stars long enough and some lines start to form; everything starts to take shape. The Constellations begin to bloom. Just two years ago, Lancaster, PA's August Burns Red were, to the naked eye, just another young band jockeying for position in the modern metal scene. Then came Messengers, the band's 2007 full-length release for Solid State Records, and a new frontrunner emerged. Without hype, devoid of any smoke and mirrors, the album debuted at 81 on the Billboard charts, going on to ever-so-quietly sell more than 80,000 copies. Already one of the year's most anticipated metal albums, Constellations will make good on the promise of the past two years, and will serve as proof-positive that August Burns Red's success is no mere solar flare-up. This supernova's here to stay.