December 19, 2023 marked a significant day for fans of Southern metalcore as Burn Absolute unleashed their latest single, "Failsafe." The band, comprised of vocalist Robby Anttila, bassist Colt Nagato, drummer Anthony Marrujo, guitarist Ryan Earley, and guitarist Micky Branz, hailing from various corners of the globe, delivering a powerful anthem that resonates with the struggles of modern life.
"Failsafe," a term typically associated with fallback plans for processes or machines, takes on a poignant meaning in Burn Absolute's narrative. Vocalist Robby Anttila explains that the song deles into the burdens we carry in life, whether it's metal health issues like PTSD and depression, or the challenges of one's career. It's about confronting these obstacles head-on and refusing to be defined by them. Anttila describes it as a "spiritual successor" to their previous track, "Groundskeeper," emphasizing the importance of self-accountability and the choice to strive for personal growth.
Burn Absolute's eclectic lineup reflects their global appeal, with members residing in Florida, Arkansas, California, and even Bolivia. The band's origins as an internet project blossomed into a full-fledged touring act after the release of their acclaimed Cartharis EP. Their decision to take their music more seriously led to collaborations with fellow acts like The Pine Drape, Catcher, and the Rye, and, most recently, For Fear Itself and Sink With Me.
The release of "Failsafe" showcases Burn Absolute's evolution both musically and thematically. With their distinctive blend of Southern metalcore and heartfelt lyrics, the band continues to captivate audiences worldwide. As they embark on upcoming tours throughout the Spring and Summer of 2024, fans can expect a powerful live experience with mirrors the raw emotion found within their music. We had a chance to speak with vocalist Robby Anttila for an in-depth and exclusive look at what Burn Absolute has in store for the coming months;
Q1) Let’s talk about the band's origin! How did you form and how did you come up with the name “Burn Absolute” ?
A1) My name is Robby, and I am the vocalist of Burn Absolute. We filmed our music video for "Catharsis" and that's when the first time we all met each other and it was great. And a couple months later we were on tour and doing the thing and the name Burn Absolute -a s far as I understand, our drummer was listening to Parkway Drive one day, and I guess they have a moment in a song where they're yelling "burn" or something like that and he just clipped in his head and he was like burn absolute that's the name!"
Q2) You guys just had the release of your latest single “Failsafe”. Tell me about the writing process that went into it.
A2) "Failsafe" was definitely like a new direction for us um we kind of were more of doing melodic you Like, early 2010s type metal core with, you know, the typical screamy verses and the sing y choruses and all that stuff. And we were like, well, we're more dynamic than that, so let's show them we can also do catchy choruses that are not singing. And, uh, so we wanted to approach it with a little bit of a different mindset and kinda have this next record be, you know, showing more of the diversity of the band. We can be heavy, we can be catchy, we can be a little bit of everything."
Q3)What are you most excited about with the new year being a rising band?
A3) 'Um, really excited. To drop this new EP, the music is definitely produced much better. We have a much better grasp of who we are as a band. I think our sound has evolved a lot, so I'm really excited for that. Um, we have a lot of upcoming festivals that we're in the running for and or have confirmed. So I'm excited for that. Um, and really just excited. It just seems like every little goal we kind of had, even though it seems like some of them might have not have been achievable in such a short time, have kind of fallen into our lap in the past couple of months. And we're just excited to see them through and see what happens."
Q4) You finished a week tour with Catcher & the Rye and The Pine Drape back in August - do you feel more comfortable setting out on tour with For Fear Itself and Sink With Me now? What were some key takeaways that you’ll use to help benefit you this tour?and in the future?
A4) "A hundred percent. Um, we had never played together or practiced together before I first showed on that tour. Oh my gosh! It was, uh, it's definitely super unorthodox. Like, that was like, okay, well, this is rehearsal, I guess, because if we mess up now, we're, we're, we're screwed. But, um, yeah, we feel much better. We've been able to figure out the kinks of, you know, what we kind of needed to figure out on that run. Now, we're just really excited and definitely thankful to be on, uh, I guess you could say the step higher of a little bit of a tour. Yeah and kind of be in some bigger venues with some bigger crowds and I'm excited to kind of see how people receive these new songs. I think the biggest thing that we learned from August was just how to push merch better, how to interact with the people at the show better. I think I've gotten much more confident as, you know, who I am as a front man too, and not just kind of, I never was like statue as ask, as you could say, but like, I definitely look at the crowd."
Q5) What’s next for Burn Absolute besides the tour? Anything new in the works?
A5) "I can't talk about a lot of stuff, but I can say we do have a lot of really cool things going on in the background to help Burn Absolute, you know, reach the next level and, you know, push the music better and more get it in front of the right people's eyes and all that good stuff.
We do have another music video planned coming out soon, and a single should be out in the next couple of weeks. I don't have an exact date, but we definitely are gonna keep it rolling and, you know, keep steam rolling with this "
Q6) Anything else you’d like to share with me and your fans?
A6) "I guess just at the end of the day, we're really grateful for all the support we've had over the past year. Um, I'm not sure if we're quite at the year mark yet, but officially we've been out there for less than a year. We've played 11 shows. Everybody has come out and supported. We haven't had an empty one yet. We can't thank you guys enough. And just excited to share all the music we got. "
Stay tuned as Burn Absolute's journey unfolds, promising more hard-hitting tracks and unforgettable performances that resonate with listeners on a profound level. "There is no failsafe, this is my time," proclaims Anttila, encapsulating the band's unwavering determination to conquer life's challenges and inspire others to do the same.
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