The most rewarding challenges come from within. By personally aiming beyond your perceived potential, you can truly grow. That’s been the case every time August Burns Red record an album, and it’s quietly turned the Pennsylvania quintet—John “JB” Brubaker [lead guitar], Brent Rambler [rhythm guitar], Matt Greiner [drums], Jake Luhrs [lead vocals], and Dustin Davidson [bass]—into a GRAMMY® Award-nominated heavy music torchbearer. Their journey began back in 2003 with marathon jam sessions on a farm belonging to Greiner’s family in the egg refrigerator. Embracing a diehard Rust Belt work ethic, they tirelessly pushed towards the top of heavy music with a series of critically acclaimed albums and countless gigs. A hard-earned high watermark, 2015’s Found In Far Away Places marked their second consecutive Top 10 debut on the Billboard Top 200. The single “Identity” notched a GRAMMY® Award nod in the category of “Best Metal Performance.” A streaming juggernaut, both “Identity” and “Ghosts” [feat. Jeremy McKinnon] crossed the 3-million mark on Spotify. When it came time to record their eighth full-length Phantom Anthem [Fearless Records] with longtime producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland, the game didn’t change. The musicians put their heads down and rallied around the same shared goal. “The goal has always been to just write the best songs that we can write and put out the best album possible,” exclaims JB. “You want to keep raising the bar on yourself. It’s the start of something new.” It shows… Uncorking a barrage of infectious intensity, the boys augmented and amplified the touchstones of their signature style on Phantom Anthem. The musical equivalent of a clenched fist haymaker, the grooves hit harder, the hooks blaze brighter, and the instrumentation ignites even more intricacy. “It’s the most technical thing we’ve ever done,” adds JB. “There’s some pretty ridiculous shred stuff going on, which is awesome. Things just came out more heavy and tight.” After two months, they emerged with the 11 tracks comprising Phantom Anthem. A subtle string pluck announces the arrival of the first single “Invisible Enemy.” In a blink, polyrhythmic pummeling and entrancing fret fireworks spiral headfirst towards an onslaught of screams, chugging bridge, searing solo, and arena-size chant, “Pain is surrounding, surrounding us.” The follow-up single “The Frost” whisks from icy clean strumming and tambourine into a blizzard of blistering screams and metallic majesty. Spearheaded by the thrash waltz of “King of Sorrow,” unpredictability drives the overall flow. “Coordinates” climaxes on a hauntingly gorgeous chorus as “Lifeline” and “Carbon Copy”—both penned by Davidson—up the visceral and vibrant virtuosity that August Burns Red remains synonymous with. The album title hints at the band’s pronounced evolution. JB recalls, “Phantom Anthem is a song or a sound that creates deep roots in the heart of a person, resonating through every bone in that person’s body and naturally giving he or she purpose and value. It’s often something silent—a quiet song that isn’t noticed and is often overlooked.” Brent goes on, “Many of the songs discuss being the one who grabs the reins, plants the seeds, makes them grow, and takes control. You may not see that thought or idea, but it brings value to the world.” Ultimately, August Burns Red push themselves harder than ever on Phantom Anthem, destroy expectations, and reach a new level by simply being who they are. “We never thought we’d get here,” echoes Brent. “We’re eight albums in. It seems like it’s bigger and better than ever. It’s everything to us. That won’t ever change.” — Rick Florino, July 2017

Ryan Kirby – Vocals Bobby Lynge – Guitar Jared Easterling – Drums Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary – Bass/Vocals   FIT FOR A KING use the tools of heavy music and melodic hooks to honestly explore the dark side of the human experience, ultimately wrenching timeless hope from the jaws of anxiety, depression, and seemingly certain despair.   No matter the pristine picture of self-worth we project, in the unquenchable pursuit of recognition and affirmation, the gnawing anxiousness of guilt and brokenness chews away at our spirits, uncovering new pain and vulnerability.   Dark Skies is FIT FOR A KING’s evocative declaration of a hard won victory. “This album is far from happy. It’s about personal struggles,” explains singer Ryan Kirby. “It touches on many subjects relevant to all of our daily lives.”   The music and message of FIT FOR A KING is a battle cry against the darkness. This is a sound that stands in defiance of the mounting pressure of modern life, not through dismissiveness or easy answers, but with earnest struggle. The four young men of FIT FOR A KING are just like the rest of us. They hurt, they bleed, and in that raw transparent authenticity, they offer true solidarity. Beneath the most vicious downpour, they cling to unrelenting grace.   Like trailblazing metalcore giants Underoath and As I Lay Dying before them, FIT FOR A KING skillfully mine the varying extremes of this music, building a catalog that sees them at home on tours with hard rock and deathcore bands   alike. The band has traveled the United States and Europe with Vans Warped Tour, Beartooth, Every Time I Die, August Burns Red, The Amity Affliction, Whitechapel, For Today, After The Burial, and Attila to name a few.   Kirby, guitarist Bobby Lynge, drummer Jared Easterling, and bassist/vocalist Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary are easygoing and affable on the road, effortlessly maneuvering within the various social circles with goodwill and charm, without sacrificing an ounce of what they believe or who they are. It’s something the Texas band’s growing following respects. Simply put, FIT FOR A KING is real.   FIT FOR A KING was built with bootstrap ethics and do-it-yourself vigor. On the strength of self-released material, the group joined Solid State for a string of successful albums that connected with the downtrodden and dispossessed. Creation/Destruction (2013) debuted at Number 6 on the Hard Rock chart. Slave to Nothing (2014) cracked the Top 50 of Billboard’s Top Current Albums. Deathgrip (2016) climbed to Number 5 among Hard Rock Albums.   Recorded with celebrated producer/mixer Drew Fulk (I Prevail, Motionless In White, Memphis May Fire), Dark Skies is a collection of diverse anthems powered by the undeniable weight of truth-telling emotional vulnerability.   “Tower of Pain” takes unbridled heaviness to breathtaking heights. “Shattered Glass” is a killer throwback to the band’s most aggressive earlier work. Songs like “Price of Agony” see the quartet soaring to new melodic heights with unrestrained urgency. “Anthem of the Defeated” veers in yet another direction, evoking the percussive power of Slipknot or Mudvayne. Yet all of it is anchored in FIT FOR A KING’s signature sound, one their fans trust.   “Debts of the Soul” is an examination of the sleeplessness that comes with ruminations on the nature of death. “When Everything Means Nothing” is a challenge to unplug from the vapid desperation of putting on a front online. “Oblivion” is one of the most faith-based songs the band has released. The song’s narrator pleads in the chorus, “Tell me I won’t be forgotten.” It’s a reminder of the grace of God and the power of true forgiveness without end.   No matter the political divisions, the staggering alienation arising from our paradoxical and increasingly “connected” world, or the mistakes we all make, FIT FOR A KING offer a foundation of open-mindedness and compassion.   “We're a very transparent band. We aren’t pretending to be something we're not,” says Kirby. “We don't want to act like rock stars and we also don't want to act like we're poor musicians that can barely eat everyday. We don’t portray a false image. We want people to know exactly who we are.”   FIT FOR A KING cherishes unwavering honesty. Even under Dark Skies.