The New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal continues to shine with the debut release from Montreal’s Barn Burner. The new disc, Bangers, was released on Metal Blade last month and the band combines the clean, melodic sounds of bands like Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden with the feedback-drenched, stoner grooves of Kyuss and Fu Manchu.

The disc starts out strong with the track “Holy Smokes” which captures the 70’s rock vibe so perfectly that it sounds like it could have come off Lizzy’s Thunder & Lightening. Singer/guitarist K. Keaglesmith’s vocals also bear more than a passing resemblance to Philo’s.



The Thin Lizzy comparison isn't to say that Barn Burner are revisionists though. Across this eleven-track disc, the band takes elements of punk, hardcore and 70's metal to create a unique, yet familiar sound, that is more than just the sum of its parts. The band captures a live vibe on this disc and producer Adrian Popovich gives the band a thick, meaty sound which has much of the same "warmth" that vinyl had back in the pre-digital age.

With songs like "Beer Today, Bong Tomorrow" and "Brohemoth", there is little doubt that this is a party band. Here is how the band described their music in a recent interview:

"The impetus for starting the band was initially to write and play tunes that made people want to drink excessively and high-five a lot. What came with that thrust was also the desire to write tunes that sort of compiled everything we like to listen to, from the harshest of death metal to catchy 70’s metal and rock."

This is a solid disc that will hopefully get the attention it deserves. The band is planning on spending a lot of time on the road this year which will hopefully include a stop-over in the NYC area.

Links:
Barn Burner