Burn Absolute | "Failsafe"
Like many people, I'm always looking for new music to add to my ever-growing playlists and my list of bands I need to see live. Music is one of the things that always brings me joy and is something that can be a huge gamble. You never know who the next big band is going to be, or what the next "in-sound" is going to be. But, I think I might have found it with Burn Absolute.
One of the coolest things I found out right away about the band is how spaced out they are. With members ranging from Florida and Arkansas to California all the way to Bolivia, the band must already have a wide net of support from all over! With the release of the Cartharis E.P. back in the summer of 2023, the band has been slowly gaining traction since. Their single "Failsafe" has all the makings of a metalcore classic. Not only is 4 minutes long, but it incorporates all the best things about the genre. I love a good "eerie" guitar sound in a song, so the fact that "Failsafe" starts with one and immediately goes into a chunky, low-tuned riff accompanied by a ferocious guttural and drums, that is just what the doctored ordered. And the breakdown? Ugh, the breakdown! In my opinion, it allows the song to become more than just a metalcore-like song. It incorporates a bit of a deathcore... maybe even hardcore... component. I can't pinpoint it due to that absolute tasty bass line at the end of it. It reminds me of early Beartooth? Maybe even a smidge of Kublai Khan TX? Regardless, the sh*t slaps.
Another thing that makes a song always better is meaning. When speaking on the new single, vocalist Robby Anttila had this to say:
“Failsafe” is a fallback plan for a process or machine. In terms of the song, it is the same definition, except I am referring to not having a failsafe. The song is about the baggage of life, on your shoulders, weighing you down. Whether it be PTSD, Depression, or your Career. It is about facing and overcoming that stagnation. It is a spiritual successor to “Groundskeeper,” about taking self-accountability and making the change. Not letting your mistakes or your issues define you. The choice to become a better version or a worse version of yourself. “There is no failsafe, this is my time”
If you want a chance to catch Burn Absolute live, be sure to check them out as they hit the road with For Fear Itself & Sink With Me.
