If you’ve never heard of Redd Barron, you can be forgiven. Like many bands of their era, they never made it past the demo stage. They’ve since been buried beneath a shroud of obscurity…that is until the aficionados at Heaven and Hell Records brought them back from the dead. Following in the footsteps of Cirith Ungol, Hittman, Siren, Glacier, and other recently resurrected US metal giants, Redd Barron returns with their debut album, Sands of Time.
I must admit that before checking out Sands of Time, I was a bit skeptical. I saw Redd Barron perform at the 2018 edition of the Legions of Metal festival. For some reason or another, their set just didn’t click with me. Maybe it’s because they were still shaking off some rust. After all, it was their first show in 25 years. Or maybe it was me, tired and worn out from 2 full days of being on my feet. After watching videos of them performing “Kill or Be Killed” and “Burning Cities” from that set, I’m starting to think it was the latter. Shame on me.
While other classic metal bands attempt to modernize their sound, Redd Barron stays true to their era with a full album of mega melodic 80s metal. Sands of Time opens with the anthemic “King of the Hill”. This track does an excellent job establishing the Redd Barron ethos. Lying somewhere between Judas Priest and Armored Saint, this is a band who boasts harmonious choruses and high energy riffs. Other tracks which showcase this formula include “The Edge”, “Same Old Story”, and “Caution to the Wind”.
Although this hooky, melodic metal approach is Redd Barron’s main focus, it’s not the only trick up their sleeve. On “Not Enough Time” and the title track, the band shows off their dark and doomy side, evoking shades of Dio era Sabbath. Meanwhile, “The Game” is a flat out melodic hard rocker that would’ve easily found its way into mainstream rock radio rotation 35 years ago. Topping it all off is the album’s polished, yet old school production.
Sands of Time didn’t have to be 55 minutes long, but it holds up a lot better than most releases that pass the 40 minute threshold these days. Redd Barron are old school dudes who keep it old school. There’s nothing wrong with that. If anything, it’s the way metal should be: unadulterated, unfiltered, and untouched.
6 out of 10
Label: Heaven and Hell Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Armored Saint, Judas Priest, Shok Paris
Joseph, your review is spot on. Thanks for also reminding me of Armored Saint and Shok Paris as I grew up back in the metal days. This is a good discovery to be sure. I also note that the hooky songs still do it for me so long as they are heavy enough (like Not Enough Time is the song that does it for me and the title track Sands of Time). I would prefer a heavier mix of sledgehammer drums to go with those two songs. Peaceout and keep up the good reviews
Redd Barron es nuestra banda favorita solo superada por la gran Iron Maiden. Quiero ver a estas dos bandas en el mismo boleto.