Guilt Trip – God Forgives
Roadrunner Records
8,5/10,0
Brief:
Historically, Manchester, UK breeds a certain toughness. As a pillar of the 19th century Industrial Revolution in Northern England, factories and warehouses line much of the city’s rain-baptized topography. A hardworking lot who shoot straight without apology, its denizens traditionally take an incredible amount of pride in where they come from. Embodying the grit and gusto of Manchester, Guilt Trip bring a blast of homegrown intensity to their hybrid of hardcore and metal. The five piece—Jay Valentine [vocals], Jak Maden [guitar], Sam Baker [guitar], Tom Aimson [drums], and Lily Kilcoyne [bass]—slide striking melodies in between throat-slitting thrashy riffs and earth-splitting breakdowns.
Amassing tens of millions of streams and playing to packed crowds, they’re primed to amplify this hometown energy and pride on a global scale with a series of 2025 singles and their forthcoming debut LP for Roadrunner Records.
Guilt Trip started to forge a seething signature style without comparison back in 2015. Jay and Jak cemented a lifelong bond as best friends at four-years-old when they met at reception in school. Over the years, the guys introduced one another to various favorite bands. Eventually, they welcomed fellow Manchester scene friends Tom, Sam, and Lily to the fold. To get to this point, the collective grinded the old-fashioned way one gig at a time, bulldozing their way out of sweaty basements and onto cramped club stages. They dropped the Unrelenting Force EP during 2016 followed by their 2019 full-length debut, River of Lies. The latter spawned “Thin Ice,” which reeled in 7.1 million Spotify streams and counting. 2023’s Severance marked a turning point. It boasted popular collaborations with LANDMVRKS and Malevolence, while KERRANG! hailed their “unique brand of hardcore that sees them delve into elements of thrash, old-school hardcore and fist-pumping metal.” Beyond sharing the stage with everyone from Sylosis to While She Sleeps, they lit up festivals, including Download, Hellfest, and more. Attracting Roadrunner Records to their corner, the musicians decamped to StudioOWZ in Clarbeston Wales with producer and engineer Adam “Nolly” Getgood [Periphery] during early 2025.
Nodding to influences as diverse as Tool and Linkin Park, the sound organically progressed in the studio.
Speaking of, the first single “Burn” practically incinerates upon impact. A double bass barrage charges out of the gate accented by a guttural groove riff and jarring pinch harmonics. The chaos unexpectedly subsides into the calm of tense clean guitar and a whispered chant, “Burn inside the fire.” The reprieve gives way to one last cathartic explosion.
In the end, the members are just as proud of Guilt Trip as they are of Manchester.
[Edited Press Release]
Tracklist:
- One By One
- Blood Atonement
- Cut From God
- Dirt
- Angel Eyes
- Veins
- No Love Lost
- Intermission
- Burn
- Suffer Me
- Resurrected (Feat.Sonny of P.O.D.)
- The Banner Of Heaven
Main Focus Tracks:
- One By One
- Blood Atonement
- Dirt
- Burn
Other Recommended Tracks:
- Cut From God
- Angel Eyes
- Veins
- No Love Lost
- The Banner Of Heaven
Line-Up:
Jay Valentine – Vocal
Jak Maden – Guitar
Sam Baker – Guitar
Tom Aimson – Drums
Lily Kilcoyne – Bass
Comments:
Armour Of Angels further cements Guilt Trip’s distinctive sound, blending powerful Thrash Metal and Hardcore influences into songs that ignite audiences. It is a strong album that proudly embraces the influence of Machine Head while maintaining a clear identity of its own. Guilt Trip stands among the finest bands in the genre today.
Contacts:
Video:
Selected Discography:
River of Lies – 2019
Severance – 2023
Armour Of Angels – 2026
Photo credit: Amy Haghebaert