As Cities Burn – Brain Matter(s) Review

As Cities Burn have a history of breakups, and I’m not talking about the type they use as catalysts to create great songs; I mean literally breaking up… multiple times. Cut to 2026, and they’re back again, this time with the new album, Brain Matter(s), that they initially dropped for subscribers of the band’s Substack, then later streaming for free on the Aaron Sprinkle-owned Lockstep.stream platform. It’s now heading for a worldwide release on streaming platforms, but will this new (almost) reunion stick?

A quick history lesson: the band formed in 2002, released an album, then in 2006 decided to call it quits; that was until fans convinced them to stay together. This resulted in another album that was released in 2007, and another in 2009. Then they broke up, for real this time. Then, in 2011, the band returned, playing many shows and eventually releasing a few tracks in 2015, only to call it quits once again in 2016. Only a year later, As Cities Burn announced a tour with Emery, with plans for a fourth studio album. After releasing Scream Through The Walls in 2019, the band broke up just a few years later in 2023.

So here we are, three years after their fourth breakup, the band unveil their latest album, Brain Matter(s), an album that – for fans of the band’s earlier work – may feel like quite the departure as it leans way more into the indie, emo-pop genres as opposed to their gritter post-hardcore sound. As Cities Burn are also now considered a duo, with founding members Cody Bonnette taking the role of vocals, guitar, and keys, and Aaron Lunsford on drums.

Upon first listen, Brain Matter(s) has elements of As Cities Burn, but as the band themselves have said, this is a “reimagination of what the band can be in 2026”. It’s wildly different to the material in Come Now Sleep, for example, but it’s also somewhat familiar. There are definitely elements of classic As Cities Burn, but with a slightly more indie/emo-pop appeal. Think bands like Copeland, Lovedrug, and mewithoutYou. There’s a slight edge, but at its core it’s much more serene.

I’m a big fan of As Cities Burn’s second album, Come Now Sleep, so before diving into Brain Matter(s), I refreshed my memory, and it just solidified just how many bangers that album has. Does Brain Matter(s) compare? Not really, but given the band’s history, I think this comparison does it a disservice. While this is As Cities Burn by name, it’s no longer the same band from 2007, and not in the Ship of Theseus kind of way, either. This album deserves to be looked at through a different lens.

While I do really enjoy the band’s heavier sound, there’s something grown up about Brain Matter(s). It’s mature, thoughtful, and cohesive. This allows the album to stand in its own right. It also feels like a continuation of their third album, Hell or High Water, which was much calmer than the albums before it. This is evident in the first song Two Faces Ten Paces which leads with an acoustic guitar riff backed up by synths and drums. Bonnette’s lyricism is there, though. I feel like it’s not as lyrically spectacular as previous records, but there’s still plenty of heart in what’s on offer here.

I can definitely see that this album will split fans. Those who prefer the raw, TJ Bonnette-led, post-hardcore As Cities Burn probably won’t like this as much, and those who prefer the mellower Cody Bonnette-led, indie-rock/emo-pop As Cities Burn will likely adore what this album has to offer. For me, while I appreciate both versions of the band, I do really enjoy this direction the band has travelled.

Production-wise, what more did you expect from an album produced by none other than Aaron Sprinkle? His influence is definitely all over this, and for the better. The way he’s able to balance the quieter elements of acoustic guitar with punchy drums, then create big choruses with electronic elements that blend so well. I really dig it. Emery’s Matt Carter also contributes to this record on bass, which totally makes sense too.