Guardians Sessions

Guardians Sessions
EP by
August Burns Red
ReleasedApril 16, 2021
StudioThink Loud Studios, York, Pennsylvania
Seventh Wave Studio, Palmyra, Pennsylvania
GenreMetalcore
Length27:36
LabelFearless
Producer
  • Carson Slovak
  • Grant McFarland
August Burns Red chronology
Guardians
(2020) 		Guardians Sessions
(2021) 		Death Below
(2023)
Singles from Guardians Sessions
  1. "Chop Suey!"
    Released: December 15, 2020
  2. "Standing in the Storm"
    Released: January 19, 2021
  3. "Extinct by Instinct (Reprise)"
    Released: February 9, 2021
  4. "Westworld"
    Released: March 9, 2021
  5. "Icarus"
    Released: March 23, 2021

Guardians Sessions is the sixth EP by American metalcore band August Burns Red. It was released on April 16, 2021 through Fearless Records. The EP consists of b-sides from the recording sessions of the band's previous album, Guardians, along with two re-imagined versions of songs from the album and two covers.

Background and promotion

Starting in late 2020, August Burns Red began to release a series of singles that were recorded during sessions for their previous studio album, Guardians.[1]

The first single released was a cover of the System of a Down song "Chop Suey!" on December 15, 2020.[2] On January 19, 2021, the band released the single "Standing in the Storm" along with the song's animated music video.[3] The following month, August Burns Red released an instrumental re-recording of the Guardians song "Extinct by Instinct", titled "Extinct by Instinct (Reprise)", on February 9.[4] On March 9, the band released a cover of the theme song for the TV series Westworld, which the band started writing in 2018.[5] A couple of weeks later, the single "Icarus" was released along with the announcement of a new EP, Guardians Sessions; "Icarus" features clean vocals provided by bassist Dustin Davidson.[6]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Distorted Sound7/10[7]
Kerrang!4/5[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by August Burns Red, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Standing in the Storm" 4:32
2."Icarus" 3:44
3."Chop Suey!" (System of a Down cover)Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian3:38
4."Westworld" (Ramin Djawadi cover)Djawadi5:28
5."Paramount (Reprise)" 5:10
6."Extinct by Instinct (Reprise)" 5:02
Total length:27:36

Personnel

August Burns Red
  • Jake Luhrs – lead vocals
  • JB Brubaker – lead guitar
  • Brent Rambler – rhythm guitar
  • Dustin Davidson – bass, backing vocals, additional guitars, clean vocals on track 2
  • Matt Greiner – drums, piano
Additional personnel
  • Carson Slovak – production, recording, mixing
  • Grant McFarland – production, recording, mixing
  • Troy Glessner – mastering
  • Florian Mihr – design
  • Levi Seitz – lacquer cut

References

  1. ^ "AUGUST BURNS RED Announces 'Guardians Sessions' EP". Blabbermouth.net. March 23, 2021. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  2. ^ Divita, Joe (December 15, 2020). "August Burns Red Cover SOAD's 'Chop Suey!' With Clean Vocals". Loudwire. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  3. ^ Childers, Chad (January 19, 2021). "Watch August Burns Red's Animated 'Standing in the Storm' Video". Loudwire. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  4. ^ "AUGUST BURNS RED Shares Reimagined Version of "Extinct by Instinct (Reprise)"". Outburn. February 9, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  5. ^ "Hear August Burns Red's Epic Metal Cover of 'Westworld' Theme". Revolver. March 9, 2021. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Childers, Chad (March 23, 2021). "August Burns Red Drop Hard-Hitting 'Icarus,' Announce New EP". Loudwire. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  7. ^ Heasley, Ellis (April 12, 2021). "EP Review: Guardians Sessions - August Burns Red". Distorted Sound. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  8. ^ Chaudhry, Aliya (April 7, 2021). "EP review: August Burns Red - Guardians Sessions". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.