THE DROP
August Burns Red just dropped *Season of Surrender*, their eleventh studio album and tenth with vocalist Jake Luhrs, via Fearless Records †. The Pennsylvania metalcore veterans used their most democratic songwriting process ever, with every member at the table instead of the usual core writers calling the shots †.
WHAT TO KNOW
- Luhrs and rhythm guitarist Brent Rambler wrote lyrics tackling depression, narcissism, self-sabotage, betrayal, and grief — the album title refers to choosing to surrender trauma rather than let it define you †
- "S.O.S." addresses Luhrs' past drinking as escape; closer "Forged by Failure" deals with depression while offering an uplifting message †
- The collaborative approach had the whole band — Luhrs, JB Brubaker (lead guitar), Rambler, Dustin Davidson (bass), Matt Greiner (drums) — weighing in on every part †
- 20+ years in, the band plans to keep this writing method for future records †
THE TAKE
A band two decades deep switching up their creative process is either desperation or confidence — the fact they're committing to it going forward suggests the latter. Luhrs framing the record around what happens when you actually heal from trauma instead of just cataloging it is a sharper angle than most metalcore bands bother with.