🎶 August Burns Red
🌎Pennsylvania, U.S.A
📀 Season of Surrender
® Fearless Records
📅 05/06/2026

Twenty-three years after taking their first steps on the metalcore scene, AUGUST BURNS RED have firmly established themselves as one of the genre’s most consistent and influential forces. With eleven full-length albums under their belt and a remarkably stable core lineup that has remained intact for two decades, the Pennsylvania outfit continues to set the standard for modern metalcore. Staying true to the release schedule that has seen them deliver new material every few years, they return three years after “Death Below” with their latest offering, “Season Of Surrender”.

The band’s lineup stability since 2006 is more than just an impressive statistic. It reflects the chemistry and cohesion of a group that knows exactly who they are and what they want to achieve musically. “Season Of Surrender” is a testament to that confidence: a pure metalcore record that refuses to compromise for the sake of accessibility. Instead, AUGUST BURNS RED rely on their greatest strengths—melodic guitar work, carefully placed clean vocals, and intricate technical riffing—to create songs that are instantly engaging without sacrificing intensity or authenticity.

Opening track “Legions” immediately establishes the album’s tone. Jake Luhrs storms in with ferocious vocals over Matt Greiner’s relentless drumming, while the guest appearance of Mike Hranica of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA adds an extra layer of aggression. It may not be the album’s definitive highlight, but it serves perfectly as a statement of intent for everything that follows.

The short yet highly effective “The Nameless” stands out thanks to its excellent guitar solo, while “Behemoth” thrives on groove and rhythmic power, with Greiner delivering another commanding performance behind the kit. In contrast, “Den of Thieves” places greater emphasis on the guitars, evolving through dynamic tempo shifts before culminating in one of the album’s most impressive solos.

The first of the remaining guest appearances arrives on “Sonic Salvation”, featuring Jamie Hails of POLARIS, who enters around the two-minute mark like a bull in a china shop. The song also introduces the album’s first substantial clean vocal passage, providing a brief moment of respite before the chaos quickly resumes. The third and final collaboration comes in the form of “Cerebral Malfunction”, featuring Australia’s MAKE THEM SUFFER. The result is a quintessential modern metalcore track that combines crushing riffs, melodic leads, and constant shifts in intensity.

“Tears of the Clouds” acts as a melodic instrumental bridge into “Whispers Like Splinters”, one of the album’s most aggressive and unrelenting compositions. Even during its slower passages, the song maintains a simmering tension, as if constantly on the verge of eruption. Following that display of fury comes the epic “S.O.S.”, which features one of the album’s most memorable melodies, largely driven by JB Brubaker’s guitar work, striking a perfect balance between power and emotional depth.

As the album approaches its conclusion, “New Horizons” emerges as one of the less remarkable tracks. While it doesn’t offer the same sense of freshness as some of its counterparts, it serves as an effective transition into the closing number. That finale arrives with “Forged By Failure”, a track boasting one of the album’s finest introductions, with Brent Rambler’s rhythmic guitar supporting Luhrs’ emotionally charged performance. As the longest song on the record, it allows AUGUST BURNS RED to fully explore melody, incorporate additional atmospheric passages and guitar solos, and ultimately deliver the grand, satisfying conclusion that such a meticulously crafted album deserves.

With “Season Of Surrender”, AUGUST BURNS RED once again remind listeners why they have remained such a respected force within the genre. It is an album that successfully balances aggression, technical proficiency, and melody, while never losing sight of its identity. Whether it is their heaviest or finest work remains open to debate, but one thing is certain: the band continues to evolve creatively and still has plenty to offer a genre that keeps attracting new generations of metal fans.

 ★ 8.5/10
✍🏻 Kostas Boudoukos