Few bands in current day metalcore can master the art of making harsh vocals ferocious, yet catchy. Over the years, this is something which August Burns Red have mastered, and is now a quintessential part of their identity. What makes the American band stand out even more is the fact that their guitar parts are incredibly intricate and tough to execute. On Season Of Surrender, the five-piece showcase both of these elements, and show off the talent of each individual musician, making for a release that is grand in sound, as well as the musicality.
Season Of Surrender opens with a song that instantly sets the pace for the rest of this album. Featuring Mike Hranica from The Devil Wears Prada, the first verse is introduced instantly, no big riffs, just full on ferocity including some intense drumming from Matt Greinner. The chorus on this track gives the listener the first taste of the epic guitar work which is shown throughout the record. The bridge includes a breakdown which starts off mellow, with just the bass and drums, but when the full band return again, the build fully commences. The result is two breakdowns, with the first one being rapid, and with the second one being much, much slower. Ending ‘Legions’ with the first huge finish on this album.
‘Behemoth’ starts off with a drum fill which turns into a riff that introduces the first verse. A breakdown comes in almost instantly which is executed to perfection. It is both proggy, but intense. A concept this track keeps throughout, as other than the first verse, this song focuses on melancholy and breakdowns. This is noticeable towards the end, where a stunning guitar melody is introduced only for yet another breakdown to start, this time, with this same riff playing in the background to wrap the track up. Giving you a notice, telling you that this is not your typical metalcore album.
The following song, ‘Den of Thieves’ is one of the catchier of the collection. One again the track kicks off with a huge sounding riff, only for the first verse to commence shortly after. This time, the main riff is included in both the background of the first verse, and the choruses. Apart from that, there are blast beats, riffs that are once more quite ambiental, and a guitar solo continuing with the unusual elements of the album. After the solo, the chorus returns again, segueing into another breakdown, to end the song.
‘Cerebral Malfunction’ is the third and final song with a feature in it, this time collaborating with Make Them Suffer. The track kicks off with a proper bass and drum rhythm section before the full force of the guitars and vocals come in. The first verse is heavier than most on this record, due to the slow, doomy and groovy sound it has. This of course, leads to the first breakdown on this track. This leads into a faster paced second verse. This leads into a larger than life sounding bridge, which leads into a guitar solo. After the solo, there is a breathtaking softer section which includes clean vocals, which is a rarity on this album, which may not be surprising for fans of this band. It is these vocals, that get combined with harsh vocals that repeat “listen to me” over and over again that end the track. Making for one of the most unique songs out of the 10 on this album.
It is at this point where there is a musical interlude, but what follows, is another of the catchier songs. ‘Whispers Like Splinters’ starts off with a riff before the vocals come in, and all of the instrumentation is sped up. The chorus sounds massive once more, and it has another guitar melody underneath the simple drum beat and layered vocals. After the chorus, the first breakdown appears, which is followed by a bridge, which features yet another very intricate guitar melody. After this, the second breakdown hits, with blast beats and high-pitched gutturals from vocalist Jake Luhrs who is phenomenal on this record as usual. Once the breakdown fades, a really mellow guitar riff is played which turns into the brutal, yet beautiful ending to the track.
photo credit: Paxton Powell
The album closer is the longest song of the collection of tracks. ‘Forged By Failure’ begins by a spoken word intro which gradually gets more intense before the first verse hits out of nowhere. After this, a haunting guitar led bridge introduces the first breakdown, which once again features some excellent melodies. Another verse begins after this which just like the first one, leads into a breakdown which is longer and more intense than the one that came before it. A synth led, rhythm showcase follows in which the bass is highlighted as it duels with the guitars and drums, and eventually the vocals when they return. Just like in the opening seconds of the song, the vocals gradually build up before they return to their normal volume. The song ends with a chorus that sounds as if it could be placed on any black metal release today, and afterwards, with the return of the synth part that is heard earlier on in this song, the album closes.
Overall, Season Of Surrender is both intense yet atmospheric at the same time. Each individual member in August Burns Red shines here on multiple occasions, and having the bass steal the show is such a nice touch which more metalcore bands should start attempting. It is clear that the band had a lot of ambition for this record, and whilst for the most part it does pay off, the features do not sound like collaborations for the most part, with the only one that does work being ‘Cerebral Malfunction.’
August Burns Red have never been your typical metalcore band, and on this album, they prove it once more as they expand into territories most bands within this subgenre of music would dare to go to, proving why they are nearing the top of the metalcore hierarchy year after year, and release after release.