Guardians (August Burns Red album)

Guardians is the ninth studio album by American metalcore band August Burns Red. It was released on April 3, 2020, through Fearless Records, and was produced by Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland.[1]

Guardians
Studio album by August Burns Red
Released	April 3, 2020
Genre	Metalcore
Length	49:27
Label	Fearless
Producer	Carson Slovak Grant McFarland
August Burns Red chronology
Phantom Anthem (2017) Guardians (2020)
Singles from Guardians
"Defender" Released: February 6, 2020 "Bones" Released: February 26, 2020 "Paramount" Released: March 26, 2020

Release and promotion

On February 6, 2020, August Burns Red released the first single, "Defender". At the same time, the band announced the album itself, the album cover, the track list, and release date.[2][3] On February 26, the band released the second single of the album titled "Bones".[4] On March 26, a week before the album release, the band released their third single "Paramount".[5]

After the release of the album on April 3, the band planned to embark on a full North American Tour in support of Killswitch Engage; however, the tour was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
Dead Press!	7/10[8]
Distorted Sound	7/10[9]
Exclaim!	8/10[10]
Kerrang!	[11]
KillYourStereo	85/100[12]
New Transcendence	8/10[13]
Wall of Sound	8/10[14]

The album received positive reviews from critics. AllMusic gave the album a positive review saying, "August Burns Red's particular brand of metalcore, one that favors melody and positivity over atonal angst, hasn't changed much over time -- the metalcore genre itself is as calculated as it is explosive -- but Guardians delivers 11 good-to-great reasons why that formula has worked for so long."[7] Carlos Zelaya from Dead Press! rated the album positively calling it: "Guardians is all-in-all a solid album that will undoubtedly satisfy August Burns Red fans. It's hard to guess whether you'd get much out of it if you're not already sold by what they've delivered thus far in their career, or indeed of some of their contemporaries, but when it comes to this type of music, you could certainly do a lot worse."[8] Distorted Sound scored the album 7 out of 10 and said: "There's little doubt that many jumping into Guardians won't be doing so in the hope that AUGUST BURNS RED are about to reinvent themselves. Nine records in, the Pennsylvanians blueprint is nigh-on set in stone by this point, and Guardians reinforces the idea that there's little wrong with this. Will AUGUST BURNS RED write a similar sounding record in two years time? Probably, but the band have done an excellent job at making that kind of statement a compliment rather than a criticism. Guardians is another notch on the belt of arguably one of modern metal's most consistent, reliable bands."[9] Addison Herron-Wheeler of Exclaim! gave it 8 out of 10 and said: "While this record may not necessarily break new ground in the sense that it sounds like something we've never heard before, they definitely showed that they are still more than capable of making a solid record and keeping fans happy."[10]

Kerrang! gave the album 4 out of 5 and stated: "Even with metalcore in its current era of hyper-innovative flux – every band and their dog experimenting with synths, samples and strange new sounds in a race to the genre's next evolutionary step – there's still something to be said for good old meat-and-potatoes melodic munch. 17 years in, Pennsylvania bruisers August Burns Red remain some of its highest-quality purveyors."[11] Hunter Hewgley from KillYourStereo gave the album 85 out of 100 and said: "Guardians feels like an album that was written for any longtime lover of August Burns Red. There is truly something for everyone on their seventh record, pulling influences from every previous era of the metalcore band's history. In any other circumstance, I'd say that this was pandering and a cynical cash-grab, but no, it honestly feels as if August Burns Red is really enjoying writing music like this. You can hear the sheer passion and drive behind each song and every note played, and Jake Luhrs' energetic vocal delivery is the real icing on the cake. This is the album that many people, the band included, have been waiting on for years. As someone who had slightly fallen off of the August Burns Red bandwagon of late, I am over the moon to say that Guardians was a great reminder as to why this band is so wildly popular, and why I still love them as much as I do. I'm back on the wagon now!"[12] New Transcendence praised the album saying, "Overall, Guardians is a righteous testament to diversity within metalcore. It boasts heaviness, catchiness, bounce, emotion, groove—you name it, it's there—but it simply lacks the staying power that made Phantom Anthem such an outstanding record. While August Burns Red's 2020 release isn't a whole step backwards, it fails to continue the incredible trajectory and, in many ways, halts the band's momentum, feeling like a record that—with just a little more refinement—could have been another star-studded entry in the band's ever-evolving discography."[13] Wall of Sound scored the album 8/10 saying: "August Burns Red seem to deliver outstanding records, one after the other. If you're not yet a fan, it is never too late to experience what you have been missing out on and join the party."[14]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Brent Rambler and Matt Greiner; all music is composed by JB Brubaker and Dustin Davidson.

Guardians track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"The Narrative"	Brent Rambler	Dustin Davidson	4:09
2.	"Bones"	Rambler	JB Brubaker	4:15
3.	"Paramount"	Matt Greiner	Brubaker	4:48
4.	"Defender"	Greiner	Brubaker	4:21
5.	"Lighthouse"	Greiner	Davidson	4:13
6.	"Dismembered Memory"	Rambler	Davidson	4:09
7.	"Ties That Bind"	Rambler	Davidson	4:18
8.	"Bloodletter"	Rambler	Davidson, Brubaker	3:40
9.	"Extinct by Instinct"	Rambler	Davidson	4:43
10.	"Empty Heaven"	Rambler	Brubaker	4:25
11.	"Three Fountains"	Greiner	Brubaker	6:21
Total length:				49:27

Personnel

August Burns Red

• Jake Luhrs – lead vocals
• JB Brubaker – lead guitar
• Brent Rambler – rhythm guitar
• Dustin Davidson – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Matt Greiner – drums, piano

Additional personnel

• Carson Slovak – producer
• Grant McFarland – producer

Charts

Chart performance for Guardians

Chart (2020)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[15]	54
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[16]	41
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[17]	24
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[18]	39
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19]	22
US Billboard 200[20]	53
US Christian Albums (Billboard)[21]	1
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[22]	2
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[23]	4

See also

• List of 2020 albums

References

1. "AUGUST BURNS RED Announces 'Guardians' Album, Drops Video For New Song 'Defender'". Blabbermouth.net. February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
2. Childers, Chad. "August Burns Red Issue New Song 'Defender,' Detail 'Guardians' Album". Loudwire. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
3. Desk, TV News. "August Burns Red Announce New Album GUARDIANS". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
4. Trapp, Philip. "August Burns Red Are Full Speed Ahead on Crushing New Song 'Bones'". Loudwire. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
5. "Listen To New AUGUST BURNS RED Song 'Paramount'". Blabbermouth.net. March 26, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
6. Hartmann, Graham. "Killswitch Engage Announce 2020 Tour With August Burns Red". Loudwire. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
7. Christopher Monger, James. "August Burns Red Guardians". AllMusic. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
8. Zelaya, Carlos (April 6, 2020). "ALBUM REVIEW: August Burns Red – Guardians". Dead Press!. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
9. Pugh, Kris (April 2, 2020). "ALBUM REVIEW: Guardians – August Burns Red". Distorted Sound Mag. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
10. Herron-Wheeler, Addison (April 6, 2020). "August Burns Red – Guardians". Exclaim. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
11. "Album Review: August Burns Red – Guardians". Kerrang!. April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
12. Hewgley, Hunter (March 27, 2020). "August Burns Red – Guardians". KillYourStereo. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
13. "REVIEW: August Burns Red – Guardians [2020]". New Transcendence. March 26, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
14. "August Burns Red – Guardians (Album Review)". Wall Of Sound. April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
15. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 13 April 2020". No. 1571. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 13, 2020. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
16. "Austriancharts.at – August Burns Red – Guardians" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
17. "Offiziellecharts.de – August Burns Red – Guardians" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
18. "Portuguesecharts.com – August Burns Red – Guardians". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
19. "Swisscharts.com – August Burns Red – Guardians". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
20. "August Burns Red Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
21. "August Burns Red Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
22. "August Burns Red Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
23. "August Burns Red Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.