With their ninth studio album, August Burns Red proves that true strength comes from community and belief in yourself.
There are very few bands in metalcore — or any genre for that matter — that can sustain their creativity for the better part of two decades. Even less can claim to continuously improve during that period. Most artists have three records in them, if that, and many that attempt to go further end up repeating themselves to the point of self-parody. Others try to reinvent themselves by exploring new sounds that may or may not click with longtime followers. August Burns Red has stuck to one thing through it all, and their ninth (!) record speaks to the power of persistence.
August Burns Red are craftsmen in the world of metal. The talent displayed on Guardians, their latest release, is the kind of thing you cannot fake. The sound and delivery of August Burns Red is the result of constant refinement spread across seventeen years and nine studio records, as well as countless performances. The members — JB Brubaker, Brent Rambler, Matt Greiner, Jake Luhrs, and Dustin Davidson — have grown into their skills as they’ve aged, which is a blessing many musicians never receive, and they prove with Guardians that they do not take their gifts for granted.
Guardians speaks to lives lead with fierce determination and open-mindedness. Throughout the record’s element tracks the band shares the knowledge gained from their exploration of the modern world, including the secret to keeping your head above water even in the direst of situations. The group recognizes the unmatched power of community, and how anything is possible for those who choose to believe in themselves, but unlike others who have covered similar thematic grounds the band grounds their beliefs with the notion that belief alone is rarely enough. If you want something in this life, be it achieving dreams or making friends, then you have to put everything you have in the pursuit of the things that will make you happy. You cannot expect anything. Every single thing that matters, big or small, requires focused effort.
If that notion scares you or makes you feel insecure, fear not. August Burns Red also wants fans to know they are not alone. As the group says on “Paramount,” one of Guardians’ most notable tracks:
Are you walking through fire?
You have a friend
Are you stuck in a nightmare?
My friend, you have a light to make it end
Listening to Guardians is not unlike watching the pivotal locker room speech from any major sports movie in that it pumps you up without overlooking the hard facts of life. You may not be the smartest or funniest or most creative person on the planet, but you possess an endless amount of potential that only you have the power to unlock. That kind of decision making is how the men of August Burns Red became who they are today, and they’ve turned their focus to lifting others up in hopes you, the listener, will do the same.
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