August Burns Red has operated at a level most metalcore bands can only hope to aspire to, maintaining a technical precision, airtight musicianship, and an overarching catalog that rarely dips below "very good." Season of Surrender continues this tradition with typical ferocity, reinforcing why they've remained one of the genre's most dependable forces. Still, while everything here is undeniably well-executed, it occasionally feels like any attempt to push the boundaries too far is left to the expense of refinement and consistency.

From a purely instrumental standpoint, the band has not lost a step. JB Brubaker and Brent Rambler continue to weave a masterclass of complex riff patterns and shifting rhythms with surgical accuracy, and Matt Greiner's drumming remains the final boss of a drummer...

With their fittingly named tenth studio album, X, Narnia continues their legacy of melodic, faith-driven metal. Personally, this reviewer appreciates the bookends of this release, the first two and final two tracks, more than the middle section. "Like a Thief in the Night" and "Oceanwide" are two solid offerings that exemplify Narnia's classic sound, and the later two change up the feel from the rest of the album and call back to songs from their earlier albums. "The War That Tore The Land (Reprise)" is an instrumental inspired by the song of the same name that the band released on...

Grief is a strange beast that can rear its ugly head when you least expect it. It can last for a short time, or it can plague one for a season, or perhaps even a lifetime. Jesus, himself, was described as a "man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief." There is something immensely comforting about knowing that our Savior understands grieving.

Which brings us to sophomore album you'll forget the sun from Nashville's idle threat. From the album's lead single, "evermind," we're given a glimpse into what the whole record is about, summed up in the line, "If I lift up lament, there's no sense in this tragedy. Father, sing...