Album Review - Burn the Sunset : Home (2012)

I’m not sure what the scene for Scottish melodic hardcore is like, but if this release from Burn the Sunset is anything to go by, then it’s an untapped resource for some of the best British music and needs to be thrust further into the limelight. That’s because this album, ‘Home’, is seriously good. It’s a short record but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t an experience that will leave you literally breathless and in complete awe of a band that are fantastic at their craft. It’s brutal, genuine and raw, which is a great combination that creates some finely fashioned songs.

‘Home’ opens with an instrumental piece entitled ‘Home Pt. 1’, and it’s a fitting beginning to the heavy and hardcore experience, with melodic picking driving on a stop-start chugging riff, while big rhythms fill in the blanks and thicken the sound. There is a switch as ‘Moving On’ comes in, starting with purposeful guitars and throat burning screams. It’s a furious track, and the influences on Burn the Sunset’s sound are clear here. They cite Your Demise, Bury Your Head and Heights as inspiration but it’s really the latter that you can hear the most. The new UK hardcore mob are making waves and already impelling young artists like this band to carry the torch. But despite the obvious comparisons, Burn the Sunset have their own sound. The huge drops, furious riffs and enormous choruses are relentless. ‘Lonely & Defeated’ shows off the technically efficient vocals and spews fire as the song is bashed out at a terrifying pace. The song stays in one gear but melody is injected at the right moments to make it stand head and shoulders about much of the melodic hardcore out there, which can feel generic and bland in comparison to the best of the genre.

‘The Changing of Times’ blares along at 100mph and doesn’t ever seem like slowing down. The riffing is top notch and the vocals tear and roar. If the band can recreate the power and fury in these songs for their live show (which they most probably can, but I have yet to witness) then it really would be an amazing gigging experience. Other modern hardcore bands can be heard, including Bastions and Feed the Rhino, but it’s mostly Heights that seem to have crafted Burn the Sunset’s rise. The band pay homage but never steal, which is both refreshing and admirable.

There are no breaks as ‘Insincere’ hits, continuing the awesome combinations of instruments and showing off the polished sound. The guitars are low and thick, which is perfect. It shakes your skull and grates your teeth, each thunderous bass drum juddering your heart. The short songs make ‘Home’ an exciting listening experience and the melodic edge on this track sets it apart from the norm, more so than anything else on this record. That sound is elaborated on more with ‘Moving Up’, which has wonderfully layered guitars, beautiful and uplifting strains and progressive rhythms. This instrumental provides an interlude to the callousness. The track builds with a purpose to ‘Memories’, which is my album highlight. It pairs the withstanding aggression with a fervent authority, the machine-gun spat vocals tearing through the song with venom. The low, growling guitars hammer into a forceful chorus, which gives the track a different dimension that is executed flawlessly.

Album closer ‘Home Pt. 2’ takes all of the ideas that have been explored so far and revisits them. It’s an extended look at what the band are capable of after this release, and it leaves me feeling positive for Burn the Sunset’s future. It’s a joy to behold and most definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s a dynamic group of songs and a release that will do wonders for Burn the Sunset’s career from here on in.