August Burns Red is a band that has found its formula and doesn't change it – and I'm not complaining. With a career spanning almost 20 years, the group is one of the most consistent in metalcore , remaining firm and true to its identity. It refuses to walk the same path that other groups in the genre have taken, such as attempting to bring metalcore to the mainstream.
A week ago, more precisely on April 3rd, the band released the album Guardians , the eighth of their career, and proved, once again, to be a powerhouse. Throughout the album's eleven songs, Jake Luhrs (vocals), JB Brubaker (guitar), Brent Rambler (guitar), Dustin Davidson (bass), and Matt Greiner (drums) showcase the two sides of August Burns Red: the heavy side, complete with incredible guttural vocals, and the melodic side, courtesy of JB, one of the band's songwriters.
Highlighting only a few tracks from the album is unfair. Choosing the singles at the time of release must have been a tough task, but they performed it masterfully. “Defender”, “Bones” and “Paramount” – in order of release – follow the heavy opening of “The Narrative” and deliver a sequence that synthesizes the essence of the group.
After almost two decades in the studio and on the road, it's understandable that the band's sound remains within their comfort zone. At times, we sense a glimpse of something new, but then the band falls back into its formula. Don't get me wrong, the formula works, and very well, but if August Burns Red fans were expecting a change in sound, they won't find it on Guardians . What fans will find is a band that understands its sound and its limits and adheres to them, without daring to be too innovative, but also without repeating the same exact steps. The release proves that a balance between the new and the old exists.
Following the band's formula, Guardians tackles strong and current themes – now more relevant than ever – such as the lack of empathy that pervades society today. But that's just the beginning. After making us reflect on our attitudes in "The Narrative," August Burns Red reminds us of the nature of humankind and the strength it possesses. The melodic "Lighthouse," for example, serves as a guide to love and care for others.
Take another look around you.
There's so much to be found.
People everywhere are suffering.
Even if they are counted,
there's so much to be found.Passion in action is compassion
The same message can be heard in the brutal “Defender,” which, with a powerful chorus, motivates us to unite:
I would do anything, but it takes two people.
One is me, the other is you.
I would do anything to achieve it, but it takes...A friend defends those he loves.
In all things, love transcends.I need a defender,
a trembling voice to calm the earthquake.
I need a defender who will bend and break in my place.
The album's title itself, incidentally, reveals its purpose: the promise that we are not alone, and that we all have someone to help us get up when we need it. Guardians isn't perfect, despite presenting itself as a concise project – listening to the album in a different order breaks the magic, because it tells a story.
At first, it's easy to get lost in Matt's frenetic drumming, or JB's powerful guitar, or, of course, Jake's guttural vocals, but when you stop and feel the music, Guardians welcomes you with open arms, reminding you that the world can spin and get all messed up as much as it wants, but we'll be here, together.
