Earlier this year, Los Angeles’ Fireburn released the follow up to their great, 2017 debut EP Don’t Stop The Youth with a 7-inch that contains two brand new songs. The Shine b/w Controller 7-inch clearly demonstrates that the band has plenty more explosive hardcore tunes in their arsenal.

While there isn’t any reggae on this release like there was on Don’t Stop The Youth, “Shine” does have its melodic moments. Over incredibly thrashy drums and guitar, vocalist Israel Joseph stars out the song by singing in a very long and drawn out manner and then promptly catches up with the rest of the band. He switches back and forth like this though out the track and makes for a very cool melodic hardcore tune. The B-side track, “Controller” is sort of the opposite of “Shine” in that it is much less melodic. Joseph brings back his fierce and gravelly style of screaming. For the most part, the rest of the band keep to their fast-paced and thrash-like playing until they hit the break down around the minute of the song. The whole song is changed up at this point from the rhythm to Joseph’s vocals. It even includes a metal-style guitar solo filled with swift hammer-ons and giant bends, which makes for a really cool finish.

Now those are the only two songs on the physical release. If you purchase the digital version there is a bonus track called “Out Of Many One.” It’s a much shorter compared to the other two, but the band gets a lot done packed into this minute and a half tune. The guitar and bass notes really harken back to early hardcore while incorporating a brief, but unexpected guitar solo lick. Israel Joseph once again switches between his yelling style vocals and his melodic style in a pretty unexpected way as well. While it is the bonus track, “Out Of Many One” in my opinion is actually the best of the songs on this EP. It will definitely get the kids moshing at shows and hardcore fans in general pumped up.

Fireburn have once again recorded a batch of songs that really stand out in the current hardcore realm. If you were a fan of their debut, you’ll find this release be a solid addition. You have to give credit them because they’re doing things differently and it is clearly working. The band has the potential and ability to truly shake things up in within hardcore scene and perhaps even the overall punk scene. Only time will tell if Fireburn can in fact achieve that, but so far they are off to a great start.