August Burns Red
's first outing for
SharpTone
and the follow-up to 2020's reliably potent and technically sound
Guardians
,
Death Below
delivers the goods. Produced by
Carson Slovak
and
Grant McFarland
, the hard-hitting, 11-song set includes guest spots from
Jesse Leach
(
Killswitch Engage
) and
Spencer Chamberlain
Underoath
). As per usual, the stalwart metalcore enthusiasts find the sweet spot between aggression and affirmation. Themes of struggle and perseverance reign supreme on blazing cuts like "Ancestry" and "Backfire," while the allegorical "Three Fountains" flirts with epic progressive metal. ~ James Christopher Monger