$7 for 21+ and $10 for unders


Montreal, Canada-based 4-headed riff machine Barn Burner don’t believe in beating around the bush. Album opener ‘Holy Smokes’ comes roaring out of the gate with a direct aggressiveness that lays out the band’s stall in no uncertain terms – no atmospheric intro, no acoustic lead-in, hell, there’s not even a hi-hat four count – from the second you press play, you’re blasted by guitars, bass and drums in full hell-for-burnished-leather mode. Self-described as “the 3 headed love child of Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy and Fu Manchu“, the band’s commitment to dirty, sleazy riffage mingled with a punkish rawness and a hard-partying attitude is undisputable. The fifth track, ‘Runnin Reds’, in particular sounds like it could slot neatly onto Black Flag’s Damaged II album, while mid-album 6:38 epic ‘Brohemoth’ showcases a more thunderous, mid-paced side of the band’s musicianship, barrelling along on crashing, discordant riffage and downtuned stomp.
Bangers is a deceptively diverse album, in point of fact. While the first couple of listens seem to paint a picture of your standard retro-rock act – suitably organic, sample-free production, 70s and 80s influences, all the usual malarkey – repeated listens reveal greater depth to the compositions. Singer/guitarist K. Keaglesmith may not have the widest vocal range, but he manages to modify his vocal delivery enough to keep things fresh, backed up by subtle, yet appropriate production techniques – his singing through ‘Wizard Island’, backed up with subtle distortion and reverb, recalls Electric Wizard frontman Jus Oborn, while on the aforementioned tracks ‘Runnin Reds’ and ‘Brohemoth’, his vocals recall Henry Rollins and Mastodon’s Brent Hinds, respectively. The band are always right there with him, too – doling out classic rock-and-roll solos, ground-shaking tom rolls and rumbling basslines as required by the demands of each particular track.
So, there’s definitely something to be said for giving this one repeated spins – the only problem with Bangers is that the record may have trouble hooking people on that first listen. The retro-rock movement has become a somewhat crowded scene of late, and the backlash against supposed hipsters ironically assuming the dress and musical concerns of the progenitors of music many of us grew up with has had the effect of making listeners view any new such act with a certain air of cynicism. Give Barn Burner the chance, however, and it quickly becomes apparent that this isn’t a bunch of sneering trendsters playing at being rockers – these are guys who are totally serious about partying and rocking as hard as they can.
(ONE METAL review)

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