Barnburner Are Sabbath Fans... Like Every Other Metal Band

Montreal's Barnburner are among the latest additions to the Metal Blade roster. They re-released their album Bangers last month, digitally remastering it with some bonus tracks.

They'll be gigging around eastern Canada and some parts of the United States in support of it this month, and will also play a Canadian Music Week showcase in Toronto.

"It was monumental, really," guitarist/vocalist Kevin Keegan says of the Metal Blade signing. "It's one of those labels that's just so legendary. I've loved so many of the bands over the years. I never in my wildest dreams thought that Barnburner would be on this label because we have a bit more of a stoner metal vibe. I just never thought that Metal Blade would latch on, but they did."

Stoner metal is a label Keegan takes well, though he admits Barnburner are far from the half-baked weed enthusiasts they appear to be. Bongzilla they are not. What they are is a groove-heavy band, melding elements of southern metal with punk and '70s hard rock into one distorted package.

"We play on this whole weed thing but none of us are real weed enthusiasts. I mean, we partake, but we're kind of frauds in that sense," Keegan explains. "We just think it's funny. The culture's funny and the whole idea of being a stoner band is kind of funny."

He continues, "Some of the criticisms have been calling us Black Sabbath worshippers. I've seen that a couple of times now and it sort of bugs me. It's like, isn't every metal band kind of a Sabbath worshipping band? We get pegged. If we mention a wizard or a weed reference with sort of riff-based stuff, it's automatic for people to think that."

Catch Barnburner on the following dates and judge for yourself:

March 12 Toronto, ON @ Bovine Sex Club (Canadian Music Week)
March 13 Chicago, IL @ The Rockbox
March 18 Austin, TX @ East End Tattoos (South By Southwest Music Festival)
March 21 New York, NY @ Fontanas
March 22 Allston, MA @ Unit 11
March 25 Halifax, NS @ The Paragon Theatre w/ Iron Giant
March 26 Moncton, NB @ The Manhattan Club w/ Iron Giant
March 27 Frederickton, NB @ Nickyzees w/ Iron Giant
Aug. 13 La Louviere, France @ Taverne Du Theatre
Aug. 14 Ypres, Belgium @ Ypres Summer Fest
Aug. 17 Ludwigshafen, Germany @ Das Haus
Aug. 18 Wuerzburg, Germany @ Immerin
Aug. 19 Leipzig, Germany @ Zoro
Aug. 20 Berlin, Germany @ White Trash Fast Food
Aug. 21 Giessen, Germany @ AK 44
Aug. 22 Messancy, France @ Rider's Park
Aug. 24 Hamburg, Germany @ Hafenklang
Aug. 27 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Lades Kaeider
Aug. 28 Aalborg, Denmark @ TBA
Sept. 2 Budapest, Hungary @ Pogoloco
Sept. 3 Vicenza, Italy @ Sabotage Bar
Sept. 5 Casalmaggiore, Italy @ Holy Fog Fest
Sept. 10 Viana Do Castelo, Italy @ La Terrazza Club
Sept. 11 Lisbon, Portugal @ Casa De Lafoes
Sept. 12 Madrid, Spain @ Wurlitzer Ballroom
Sept. 13 Barcelona, Spain @ TBA
Sept. 15 Grenoble, France @ TBA
Sept. 16 Caen, France @ El Camino
Sept. 17 Utrecht, Belgium @ ACU
Sept. 18 Leeuwarden, Netherlands @ Cafe Mukkes
Sept. 19 Tilburg, Netherlands @ Incubate Fest