August Burns Red

Power and precision coalesce in the intricate metalcore of August Burns Red. Formed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 2003, the band set themselves apart by foregrounding themes of positivity and self-improvement. Informed by a friend’s experience with coming out, their 2015 single “Identity” earned ABR their first Grammy nomination. Such lyrical nuances are echoed in their airtight musical interplay, flanking unconventional time signatures and sustained intensity with Jake Luhrs’ gruff vocals and JB Brubaker’s dazzling lead breaks. The unusual attention to detail and quality control within ABR is exemplified by their long-standing working relationship with producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland across a handful of consecutive albums. Yet all of those exacting technical touches wouldn’t have the same emotional impact without the band’s consistent messages about facing both inner demons and formidable outside forces. That’s certainly a recurring theme on 2026’s Season of Surrender, which explores that knife edge between giving up and pushing forward.