GUILT TRIP

Manchester hardcore mob trade A New Hope for the New Testament

IT’S AMAZING HOW much a name change can impact a band.

“When we started taking things seriously, we thought, ‘Let’s get a decent name’,” explains Jak Maden, guitarist with fast-rising hardcore quartet Guilt Trip. “We were originally called Mos Eisley! I don’t think it would have done us any favours… Although, we could have toured with Bossk.”

Since then, the Manchester crew have gone all-in, taking their music from a fun hobby to a serious concern, and become one of the UK’S most exciting metallic hardcore bands. They’ve graced the stages of numerous festivals, supported Malevolence on a sold-out UK tour, and even released new album Severance on Malevolence’s record label. Jak describes it as “metal enough for metalheads and hardcore enough for hardcore heads” – and he’s bang on.

Guilt Trip might lean towards ’core, but there are plenty of beefy riffs and hooks that will appeal to a wider audience. From the artwork to the lyrics, Severance is also awash with biblical references, and questions of faith sit alongside traditional hardcore themes of surviving in the face of adversity. But make no mistake, Severance is not a clergy-approved sermon with guitars in the background – it’s a pit-igniting monster.

Is Jak bothered about being seen as a Christian band? “Our current hoodie depicts Saint Michael defeating the Devil,” he explains. “I don’t think anyone who sees it will think, ‘Oh that’s a Christian hoodie.’ It’s just hard!”

SEVERANCE IS OUT NOW VIA MLVLTD. GUILT TRIP PLAY DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL IN JUNE