Album review: Burner – It All Returns To Nothing

When Burner’s debut EP A Vision Of The End was released in June 2022, it was a ferocious statement of intent which elevated the South Londoners from unknowns to serious contenders. You might think that a band only get one opportunity to make such a throat-grabbing first impression. However, one year on and now into full-length territory, Burner have unleashed such an astonishing racket that it’s once again hard to reconcile how short a time they’ve been in the game.

The prominent mode of aural attack on It All Returns To Nothing offers a vicious reminder that chaotic hardcore and chunky death metal make for brutally effective bedfellows, but Burner aren’t content to restrict their fury to this formula. Pillar Of Shame conjures the grandeur of black metal admirably, while the stark quiet of instrumental Trinity doesn’t so much offer mid-album respite as reset the tension. Most impressive is An Affirming Flame, its lengthier duration allowing time to move from breakneck riffs through a shimmering post-metal interlude to a sludgy conclusion.

As the titles of their records might suggest, Burner’s worldview is one characterised by suffocating bleakness, with songs on this album exploring apocalyptic hellscapes from the dehumanising nature of warfare to visions of environmental collapse. That this lyrical focus matches the crushing relentlessness of the music is another way in which It All Returns To Nothing proves to be a thoroughly compelling piece of work. And with the band’s technical accomplishments evident but never obstructing the pursuit of instantly gratifying bludgeon, this remarkable release should make waves across the extreme metal spectrum.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Converge, Gatecreeper, Helpless

It All Returns To Nothing is out now via Church Road