BURNING RAIN
Burning Rain (Reissue)
Frontiers (2013)
Rating: 8/10
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There was a time when warp speed guitars and a blues addiction were all a band needed to awe the masses. Many bands have risen through the rock ’n’ roll ranks using this simple formula. Sometimes a group comes along that not only sticks to tradition, but adds to it.
This time tested approach finds fresh fire in the hands of Burning Rain. The American band’s 1999 debut has been reissued through Frontiers, and even a cursory listen will reveal how these songs are steeped in rock roots, but still ahead of their time.
Burning Rain’s self-titled release can be summed up in just a few words: heavy, shredding blues. Guitarist Doug Aldrich has gone on to play in Whitesnake, a band who needs no introduction. The grooves laid down on this release show that Aldrich was ready to step onto the stage with David Coverdale years before the offer came.
‘Smooth Locomotion’ oozes the bluesy rock sound that Whitesnake has built their reputation on, and the dizzying speed of Aldrich’s lead guitar work show he’s got the chops to come into an established band with confidence. The mix of blues and blazing guitars is well balanced, as Aldrich never lets his high quality shredding overpower a song, letting the band shine as a whole.
Another obvious element to the Burning Rain formula is vocalist Keith St. John. His Led Zeppelin-influenced vocal style works well with the blues rock laid down by the band. His delivery is reminiscent of a deeper Anthony Corder from Tora Tora, with phrasings drawn straight from Zeppelin or Janis Joplin.
‘Cherry Grove’ is an excellent example of St. John’s Robert Plant-influenced wail. This song rings with the blues that Led Zeppelin did best, sounding a bit like something that would have appeared on the Coverdale And Page album (1993).
‘Heaven’s Garden’ is another song based on a blues groove. The driving beat maintained by drummer Alex Makarovich (ex-Steelheart) and bassist Ian Mayo (ex-Hericane Alice / Bangalore Choir) sets up a laid-back feel during the verses, and propels the chorus forward. The seasoned performers that comprise Burning Rain are in sync on their debut, creating an infectious sound.
The album’s re-release closes with two acoustic bonus tracks. Predictably, ballad ‘Can’t Turn Your Back On Love’ represents well in this format. Aldrich’s rhythm guitar track sounds a bit like a jazz take on Extreme’s hit ‘More Than Words’ (from 1990’s Pornograffiti), with a less overtly pop approach. St. John is at his Zeppelin-esque best, and it’s easy to believe this song is written for an acoustic performance.
More surprisingly, opening track ‘Smooth Locomotion’ is reworked into an acoustic format. In its electric version this is one of the heaviest songs on the record, and features shredding lead guitar. The acoustic presentation is powerful, satisfying, and oozes as much machismo as its louder brother. This is an unforeseen treat that gives the album depth.
All in all, Burning Rain’s debut is one any band could be proud of. Some of the songs sound a tad dated due to the obvious 70s influence, but the production is top notch, even by current standards. Even those slightly dated tunes come off more like discovering a new aspect to an old friend, rather than a rehashing of bygone sounds. Burning Rain has mined the depths of yesterday and given it new fire, creating a bluesy, ballsy take on hard rock. Fourteen years later Burning Rain can still hold its own, and that’s saying something.
Jim McDonald
