August Burns Red, I Promised The World, The Gloom In The Corner @ The Gov, Adelaide 29/9/2026
Season Of Surrender, the title of Americans August Burns Red latest album is a nod to vocalist Jake Luhrs commitment to living through his faith, regardless of harvest or famine.
Tonight, in Adelaide, the band, and its devoted followers, feast on all that is good. Luhrs stands on his pulpit and delivers one of the greatest rock sermons of the year.
August Burns Red are not the only defenders of the faith tonight. The Gloom In The Corner’s vaudeville theatre is back in town. Led by ringmaster Mikey Arthur, Gloom’s wall of distortion, sonic subtlety and lyrical poetry is on full view. Nope (Hollow Point Elysium) a highlight of all consuming crushing riffs in a smorgasbord of metal.
I Promised The World deliver something different. A throwback with modern flavours to the days of post hardcore’s rise with metalcore. Confronting, smothering angst with melody. Caleb Molina leaps, screams and erupts with the inner turmoil of a demon escaping its chains, accurately representing the physicality of the six members on the cramped stage jostling for space to bludgeon you with their music. The biggest ouch happening when Molina screams that he doesn’t ‘care if you’re thirty five, get in the pit’ a stark reminder he thinks that’s old.
However, it’s August Burns Red show. Jake Luhrs, central and large, the warrior of virtue who delivers the bands messages through vocal impact. The crew behind him handle the bands complex music like they’re master plate jugglers, switching between searing solos, breakdowns and intricate riff work.
The light show is epic and arguably the best I’ve ever seen in this venue. Each colour, strobe, flash accentuating the songs message.
Back Burner breakdowns are as heavy as King Kong’s foot stomps, Sonic Salvation is dynamite, and the pit is bubbling away during The Eleventh Hour.
The new tracks fit perfectly in a setlist curated over the bands career, including a cheeky drum solo and Dustin Davidson’s solo ode to Adelaide.
Luhrs leads the crowd into chorus during Empire and further stardust is sprinkled during the Composure leading the band to finish their sermon with White Washed.
Luhrs was affable, entertaining and a personable frontman tonight. It felt more like a gathering than a show, a testament to August Burns Red’s ability to make you feel wanted. Roaring, angry yet pleasant and warm. They do say they play angry music for happy people right enough.
Live Review By Iain McCallum