ABR Debuts "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"

AUGUST BURNS RED debut ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’

Band’s annual tradition of re-imagining Christmas classics continues for fourth straight year

Track available now digitally and on limited edition vinyl

January 2012 headlining tour looms on horizon

Nov 30, 2011 – ‘Tis the season for metal. Following their annual tradition, juggernauts AUGUST BURNS RED have unleashed their latest rendition of a Christmas classic, this time tackling holiday favorite, ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’.
“The past few years the annual ABR Christmas songs haven’t been nearly as ‘metal’ as ‘Carol of the Bells’ was,” explains guitarist JB Brubaker. “When writing our rendition of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ I wanted to write a more traditional metal song. Something less artsy and more in your face. I am confident that ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ is easily the most metal Christmas song we’ve ever done. While recording it I was thinking ‘this song sounds straight 80’s metal’ which amused me greatly.”

The track is available now as a digital single or a limited edition colored vinyl 7″ through the band’s former label, CI Records, and can currently be previewed at the band’s Facebook page.

Stream ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ now:
http://blpr.co/abrxmas11
The release of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ caps off a banner 2011 for the heavyweights – their fourth album, Leveler, rocketed to the top of the Billboard charts, debuting at #11 on the Billboard 200 in addition to entering the charts as the #1 Hard Rock album and #2 Rock album. Leveler also displayed staying power and has become the band’s fastest selling album to date.

ABR looks to further continue the incredible momentum built in 2011 by kicking off 2012 with a seven week US headlining tour presented by Band Merch and brought to you by House of Blues Entertainment and Ibanez Guitars.

While the band already has two albums that topped 100,000 in sales (2009’s Constellations and 2007’s Messengers), Leveler is on pace to set a new high-bar for AUGUST BURNS RED, adding commercial success to the critical praise which the album has garnered from the likes of Alternative Press, Revolver, Rock Sound and more, in addition to high marks from dozens of other outlets. The album pushes the band’s sonic boundaries in every direction, yet emerges as an unquestionably heavier album than its predecessor. It’s a game-changer, for ABR, and for fans of hard rock everywhere.

Select praise for ‘Leveler’:

“From start to finish, Leveler is exhilarating… the quintet’s strongest work to date. (4/5)” -ALTERNATIVE PRESS

“AUGUST BURNS RED have crafted a signature brand of metalcore that challenges the genre’s status quo … [They’ve] set their own bar even higher on Leveler, and have done so for all the scene in the process. (4.5/5)” -REVOLVER
“Leveler takes the band to a unique level… not only easily approachable but entertaining, impressive, and new. (10/10)” -OUTBURN

“By far the greatest album AUGUST BURNS RED have ever produced” -EXCLAIM!

“A wonderfully dynamic album” -ALL MUSIC GUIDE

“Leagues above much of this genre” -ROCK SOUND

“Leveler has the potential to be another breakout record for the group, with a maturing sound and greater experimentation. Hopefully, this new album will help turn even more skeptics into headbanging converts” -METAL INSIDER

Band Merch presents AUGUST BURNS RED with SILVERSTEIN, TEXAS IN JULY, LETLIVE. (Jan 13-29) and I, THE BREATHER (Jan 31-Mar 3), brought to you by House of Blues Entertainment & Ibanez Guitars

Jan 13 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom

Jan 14 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar

Jan 15 Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend

Jan 17 Charleston, SC @ Music Farm

Jan 18 Nashville, TN @ Rocketown

Jan 19 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

Jan 20 Orlando, FL @ House of Blues

Jan 21 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution

Jan 22 Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor

Jan 23 Jacksonville, FL @ Free Bird Live

Jan 25 Houston, TX @ House of Blues

Jan 26 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom