August Burns Red
Genre: Metal
Styles: metalcore, hardcore, mosh
Location: Lancaster, PENN
Label: Solid State/Tooth and Nail
Website/Myspace: www.myspace.com/augustburnsred
Christian label: yes
Category: The Message whats this?

If you are in to heavy music, you know that the term “Christian metal” has always seemed to be some what of a joke to the general public.  How can a group of peace loving believers create any type of hard, aggressive music that could even hope to compete in the headbanging scene?  Enter August Burns Red. This five-piece from Pennsylvania is no joke, and in their short career they have proven to be one of the most dominate forces in heavy music today.  They started playing music before most of the guys were even out of high school, but since 2004 ABR has been creating some of the most technical and brutal metal/hardcore out there.

Their latest achievement is Messengers, released in 2007, it combines the best of mosh inducing breakdowns with true musicianship and introspective lyrics.  Their songs deal with questioning mainstream ideology, forgiveness and redemption, separating them from their dark and doomy secular counterparts.  They have been touring non-stop since the release of Messengers in 2007, and are finally settling down to write and record a new album some time in 2009. Their latest achievements include a instrumental version of “Carol Of The Bells” which will appear on the Tooth and Nail compilation Christmas X, and a version of Britney Spear‘s “Hit Me Baby One More Time” which will end up on Fearless Records When Punk Goes Pop 2.

Here is their amazing video for the the song “Composure”. The song deals with letting go of your past and letting yourself move on.  The video is a great testament to their performance style and ability to communicate issues of the heart through heavy music.

I have been following the career of these guys since I first heard about them signing to Solid State several years ago. I have to say that their name and look really threw me off at the beginning, but once I heard their debut, Thrill Seeker, I have been a fan ever since.  This band is simply one of the most solid heavy bands I have ever listened to, and they deserve all the success that God grants them. If you are in to heavy music, you owe it to yourself to check them out.

You can get August Burns Red’s music digitally on

You can also get their CDs on Amazon: Looks Fragile After All(reissued EP from 2004), Thrill Seeker(2005), Messengers(2007), Lost Messengers: The Outtakes(2009)