LISTEN: August Burns Red Reimagines The ‘Westworld’ Theme Song
LISTEN: August Burns Red Reimagines The ‘Westworld’ Theme Song
Get ready for the rendition of a lifetime.
Words By: Bre Offenberger
August Burns Red, a Pennsylvania-based metalcore quintet, have released their version of the theme song of Westworld, a sci-fi series on HBO. The reimagining is everything any August Burns Red fan could ask for: a powerhouse of blistering guitars, wickedly forceful drums and even a dip into unfamiliar territory for the band that’s delivered unsurprisingly well.
The original sounds like every intense score before the main character of a historical drama heads off to battle. Exuberant keys and subtle strings gradually pick up to form a heavy glob of soothing and enlivening orchestration that signals an increase in pace – whether that has to do with a rise in action of the plot, the death of a character or something vastly different. Regardless, the theme is a thriller — and so is August Burns Red’s rendition.
The reimagining opens with what one can picture as a dangerous motorcycle gang approaching: heavy zips of the guitar, an insert of drums that’ll inevitably rock your insides and subtle strings lurking in the background. That familiar climax of the original theme with strings fluctuating has now been replaced by the ultimate guitar solo while drums crash underneath. The biggest shocker comes right after the climax settles, when the instrumentation seemingly fades into dust and comes back out with gentle acoustic guitars and a subdued electric guitar solo. A cow bell even comes into the mix before it explodes back into jolting guitar riffs. It leads the listener to think it’s going to cool down again but then, fortunately for listeners everywhere, detonates one more.
Of the reimagining, lead guitarist, JB Brubaker, shares: “The soundtrack to Westworld has been a favorite of mine as long as the HBO series has existed. I started working on a metal version of the main theme to the show back in 2018, but pushed it to the back-burner as other projects took priority. When COVID sent us into lockdown, the first thing I did with my time at home was finish the Westworld cover. We recorded it in the summer of 2020 and I’m really proud of how it came out. I hope fans of the show will feel we did it justice!”
August Burns Red has been the generator of a multitude of absurdly good instrumentals over the last few years, and “Westworld” is near the top of the list. Though frontman Jake Luhrs gets no action, “Westworld” is a reminder that metalcore finds its intrigue in its powerful production. If you weren’t convinced before, “Westworld” is an indicator that August Burns Red should be all over your radar.
