Roadrunner Debut: Guilt Trip’s “Burn” is Hardcore on Fire

There are some songs you hear and instantly know they’re going to hit different in a live setting. UK’s Guilt Trip’s newest release, “Burn,” is totally one of those songs. This isn’t just a normal single drop, it’s actually the band’s first release under Roadrunner Records, and it carries that drive of a group ready to break down new walls and take up an even bigger space. “Burn” feels like an ignition on a milestone, especially coupled up with a framing music video. It’s fast, heavy, and feels really focused on creating absolute frenzy in the pit. You can hear it in the breakdowns and repeated chants: this track was built for total crowd participation, making us look forward to when they rip into it on stage and get that room spinning.

What’s wild about “Burn” is how cleanly it captures the balance between hardcore grit and metallic charge. The guitars lock into a tight groove, the drums hit like a rock to the dome, and the vocals carry that rawness that keeps the hardcore roots right up front. The essence of a label is definitely there: everything sounds bigger, sharper, more defined. But before you come at me, just know that I’m acknowledging it doesn’t strip away the dirt or intensity which is what made fans fall in love first. Instead, it makes every land a little harder, and hopefully with this new chapter, more listeners will get to experience that. The track feels like Guilt Trip is just doubling down on who they are all while opening the door to something that’s larger.

The fans are onboard with getting these guys the respect and attention they deserve with fans receiving the new track and saying things like

“Hoping this LP gets more eyes on these dudes. Absolutely deserve any hype they get.”

“Guilt Trip are heavily slept on, in my opinion... they can go toe to toe with Kublai Khan, Jesus Piece and the other more widely known hardcore bands around, right now”

“New Guilt Trip, I don’t hear enough about these guys,”

Hard to say this was totally unexpected, because it also comes at a perfect moment in their timeline. Over the last couple of years, Guilt Trip have been grinding non-stop: festivals across Europe like Resurrection Fest and Jera On Air, collaborations like “Sweet Dreams” with Florent Salfati of Landmvrks, and their 2023 record Severance, which really set the tone for the heavier direction they’ve been going into. They even linked up with producer Adam “Nolly” Getgood (yes, from Periphery) while working in Wales, putting work in the technical side of their sound. All that momentum makes “Burn” feel a due message: Guilt Trip is leveling up in the hardcore/metal scene.

And honestly, that’s what excites me most about this release. You can hear that it’s written with us (and by us I mean the fans) in mind. The parts where the chants repeat? Helllooo— that's definitely for the crowd. The breakdowns that feel like they last forever? Pit material. Every section of this song issues to us: live connection. Guilt Trip is known to pull you into the madness with them.

In the bigger picture, “Burn” stands shoulder-to-shoulder with bands like Malevolence or Kublai Khan TX (which many are mentioning), both of whom have carved out reputations for writing heavy tracks that feel massive live. So... If you haven’t caught my drift yet, you know, the one where I’m emphasizing the anticipation of seeing this LIVE—well, there it is for the hundredth time.

If this single is any sign of what’s to come in their Roadrunner era, then let’s buckle up. Guilt Trip are about to burn every stage they set foot on going forward, without giving us those OG tracks as well. Catch them quite literally tomorrow at New England Metal And Hardcore Festival in Worcester, MA.