Burn - 2 EP's

*click on picture to download both EP's

When Burn released their debut EP in 1990, New York hardcore was in decline. Many of the most popular and influential bands were either breaking up, signing to major labels, or putting out horrible crossover records. Moreover, it seemed that hardcore, and NYHC specifically, had become musically stagnant. Enter Burn. They took the hardcore formula and flipped it on its head. They fused all the aggression and urgency that made hardcore great with odd time signatures, unusual chord progressions, complex song structures, and lyrics that were heavily introspective and occasionally vulnerable (a real rarity in the super-macho world of NYHC). My friend Jay once summed it up thusly: "They played fucking jazz chords over hardcore music!" In a genre that is often dismissed for its simplicity and repetitiveness, Burn showed that hardcore could be intelligent and innovative without going pop or metal.

Their debut EP is one of the greatest hardcore records ever released. Don't think that's just hyperbole. What Burn achieved on their first record is just as mind-blowing as the Bad Brains' early recordings, Minor Threat's EP's, Damaged, and The Age of Quarrel. Every song stands on its own as a unique and seamless construction. Every lyric has a purpose. And no matter how many times I listen to it, it always knocks me on my ass.

Burn's only real failing was their dearth of material (until 2001 the debut EP was their only official release). Those who were obsessed with Burn collected every soundboard tape they could get their hands on. One of my most treasured possessions was a tenth-generation dub of a 3 song demo Burn recorded in 1992. This unreleased demo was highly sought after by tape traders and Burn devotees despite its god-awful sound quality. Thankfully, Revelation Records released this demo as a proper EP entitled Last Great Sea in 2002. While not as staggering or ingenious as their debut, it is nonetheless a worthy follow-up. They also released a record of mostly new material in 2001 which unfortunately does not meet the high standard of their previous work.

So here are Burn's debut EP and Last Great Sea EP packaged together. Click the links, download the records, and imagine how spectacular a Burn LP would have been...

- Johnny P





Burn [self-titled]
1990
Revelation Records
VBR

1 ...Shall Be Judged
2 Godhead
3 Drown
4 Out of Time



Burn Last Great Sea
2002
Revelation Records
VBR

1 New Morality 3:11
2 Tales of Shatou 3:33
3 Last Great Sea 5:18