Ever hear of a band called Lucifer’s Hammer? Neither have I, but I figure any band named after a Warlord song with releases on such celebrated labels as Shadow Kingdom, High Roller, and Dying Victims can’t be half bad. And before one of you Randy-shirted dorks explodes behind your computer screen, crying about how I’ve never heard of these guys before, remember, I’m not Anderson “NWOTHM King” Tiago. Somehow, Lucifer’s Hammer was a band who skipped my radar until now with the arrival of their offshoot band, Burning Path. Unfortunately, Burning Path was not born out of petty personal conflicts, like many of these Mk. II vehicles are, but tragedy, as LH frontman Hades was murdered right before Christmas, 2024.
This left Hades’ fellow bandmates, Hypnos and Titán, the latter Hades’ brother, to carry on their fallen leader’s old school metal vision in the form of a new entity. Enter Burning Path. Hypnos handles guitars, bass, and keys, while Titán adds vocals and guitars to his resume, while continuing his drumming duties. Together, the two have cranked out 8 songs (well, 7 and an intro) that at their core fuse the rough and ready spirit of the NWOBHM with the edgier moments of major label MTV metal (i.e. W.A.S.P., Dokken, Quiet Riot, etc.) It’s a combination that sounds promising on paper, and for the most part, it is.
In the never-ending battle of Priest or Maiden, it’s clear that Burning Path has taken the latter path, no pun intended. The opening “Chasing the Future”, while not as blatant a show of Maiden apery as many within the NWOTHM realm, certainly boasts riffs, arrangement, and an energy reminiscent of the legends in their Somewhere in Time era. “Another Day” keeps this vibe going with perhaps a hint of L.A. street metal in the riff delivery, the latter of which takes hold on the anthemic “Take Me High”. By and large, this cut isn’t far removed from what one would expect of a Spencer Proffer produced outing circa ’83, but I must dock some points for the blatant lift of Def Leppard’s “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)”.
As the album progresses, Burning Path continues to showcase the various forms of old school metal which influence their sound. Whether it’s fantastical epic metal (“The God Who Dwells in the Sword”), bombastic Satan-esque speed (“A Step Far Beyond”), or moody Dokken worship (“When Darkness Falls”), these two can do it all. Unfortunately, while Burning Path certainly nails the aesthetic, the songwriting itself is a tad dodgy and the production could be much stronger. I’m usually the first to praise the lo-fi sonics of a release of this nature, but in the case of Burning Path, between the washed out drums and cavernous vocals (which make Bruce Dickinson on latter day Maiden albums sound crystal clear), it gets to be a little much on the ear.
With a beefed up production job and a sharper focus on the glam metal songs, if you well, I have no doubt in my mind that Burning Path are capable of an even stronger sophomore effort. That being said, their eponymous debut is far from bad. Yes, there are stronger bands doing the same thing as we speak, but if you’re a fiend for all things ’80s, there’s no reason you shouldn’t give this album at least a spin or two. Thankfully, you’ll only get first-degree burns from this outing.
6 out of 10
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Lucifer’s Hammer, Iron Maiden, Dokken
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