If you’ve got metal in your core then chances are you’ve listened to at least a few songs from August Burns Red (ABR). The band purportedly got their name when the ex of the original vocalist burned his dog alive in the dog house. This year, ABR turns 20 and the current members are lighting the stage on fire in every city they hit on tour.
The current ABR lineup is as follows: John Benjamin “JB” Brubaker on lead guitar, Brent Rambler on rhythm guitar, Matt Greiner on drums, Jake Luhrs on lead vocals, and Dustin Davidson on bass. Part one of the twenty-year anniversary tour is wrapping up with part two on the way.
From the calm outskirts of the crowd to the carnage in the mosh pits, Denver did not hold back in showing their love for the headliners. Following ABR on tour are a couple of equally impressive bands. Bleed From Within and The Devil Wears Prada will appear on both legs of the tour. The first ends March 14th in North Carolina and the second begins April 13th in Philadelphia. The tour will end on May 13th with ABR’s first show back in Canada since 2019.
First US Tour for Bleed From Within
Opening the show is a heavy metal band from Glasgow, Scotland formed in 2005. Bleed From Within (BFW) has played in venues across Europe and the U.K. They’ve played alongside bands like Suicide Silence and Megadeth.
To date, they have released a total of six albums, Shrine being the most recent. Through their deep growls and melodic riffs, the crowd can feel their palpable passion. BFW’s sound has evolved into a solid signature, and it made for the perfect opening set.
The Devil Wears Prada Struts their Stuff
The second band of the tour is The Devil Wears Prada, formed in Dayton, Ohio in 2005. The sound that TDWP delivers is a blend between American metal-core and European melodic metal, and has been a staple for certain crowds.
Despite sharing their name with a movie, the members formed their band before the film was released and chose the name through a misunderstanding of the moral of the story. They refused to change the name and have since made it their own in the music industry. The group has released a total of eight studio albums, the most recent, Color Decay, having been released September of 2022.
Twenty Years in Under Two Hours
August Burns Red is the final boss of this tour. They’re celebrating their twenty-year anniversary a compilation of their nine albums. Concertgoers were treated to the evolution of ABR’s discography, ranging from fan favorites like “Mariana’s Trench” and “Meridian” to fresher material like “Paramount.”
One of the most satisfying parts of their Denver show on March 10th took place during “Empire,” when Jake asked for crowd surfers. Ten people appeared in an instant over everyone else’s heads.
The boys of ABR brought their all to this show and the crowd responded just as hard. The mosh pits had no end, people lost things that they later found again, and the wall of death was the cherry on top.
Twenty years have flown by, and their steam has yet to subside. August Burns Red’s album Death Below is out now, as well as album merch while supplies last. There’s still time to relive the last two decades in person. Links to tickets are available on the Tour tab on their website.
Photos by Daren Lee
