Musical Influences Quicksand, Kyuss

Similar Artists Resin

Group Members Adam Borchedt, Neil McKenzie, Marcus Webster, Brian Borchedt

Instruments Guitar, Bass, Drums, etc.

Albums Happy? (dp 1994) Nervous Wreck (dp 1996) A Demonstration (dp 1998) Burned Out... (dp 1999)

Press Reviews Halifax on record "Straight outta Yarmouth" June 18... "People think it's a punk band or a metal band," says Brian Borcherdt, while talking about the name of his main musical enterprise -- Burnt Black. "More than anything, I think it's a humourous name to us," Borcherdt says, speaking for the group, who are perfectly happy to be known as "heavy rock," in stark contrast to many of their better-known pop counterparts in the Halifax scene. Burnt Black have a sizable following in their hometown of Yarmouth, such that they can rent a hall and equipment and still make a small profit. In Halifax, they'd picked up a large enough following that they were a weekend headliner at Birdland until that club closed. So this Saturday's release party at the Marquee is a comeback of sorts. The occasion is their sophomore CD release, A Demonstration (of the Hazards of Operating Heavy Equipment), a project that started off about a year ago as a demo four-track session. "Once we heard the final product, it sounded better than most studio stuff we've done," Borcherdt relates. As far as he's concerned, those recordings capture what the band tries to get across in their live gigs, and even though they hesitated for a long time about releasing four-track material, they finally went with their gut and decided to put out seven songs, along with two unreleased cuts from a 1996 studio session, on their own D-pendent Records imprint. Borcherdt collaborates on songwriting with the other band members, including his brother Adam, but he confesses to writing most of the lyrics. Although he's progressed beyond "high-school mournful journal-keeping," Borchert is still pretty serious about rock, humourous name notwithstanding. "Writing light-hearted songs isn't what we want to do," he says. - James Covey "Downtuned" Album Review : "a demonstration of the hazards of operating heavy equipment" Burnt Black is back. Their first independent CD release ‘Nervous Wreck' impressed, and their newest effort does that and more. This disc screams ‘sign us', and if there were any justice in this world that wouldn't be a problem. Burnt Black have put together a strong showcase of their skills with the limited resources provided (recording was done on a four track in their basement) coming accross admirably. Lets not kid ourselves here, you're not going to confuse this CD with anything from a high cost production studio, but that in a way is part of its charm. Its live, its raw, its what the band is all about and it captures a lot of the live onstage energy that eminates from a Burnt Black show. Eeking out an existence in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada where the metal scene is more or less non-existant (or so the Editor of this Site tells me, I've never been there) and more known for producing the indie sensation Sloan than anything remotely comparable to B.B. They stick out like a diamond in the rough. Songs like opener Choking Me, the digging riff driven Dancin Queen and the up and down ride of Crash , entrench themselves into your subconscious with flowing melodic hooks. Some tracks come off better than others but the potential and talent is obvious to the ear. Brian Borcherdt's voice seems vaguely familar yet holds its own character, as does the entire ensemble. Hopefully the word will get out about this band and a lucrative contract will be thrown their way. Get these guys in a real studio and supply them with the right budget and tools and lets see what they can do, we could be sitting on Canada's answer to the Deftones here, and welcome it would be. - Harold Barthom Standouts: Choking Me, Dancin' Queen, Crash 9/10 "Reverb" Review : Burnt Black Album Review A DEMONSTRATION OF THE HAZARDS OF OPERATING HEAVY EQUIPMENT (Independent) A DEMONSTRATION... is Burnt Black's third and best release. The band originated in Yarmouth five years ago and is now based in Halifax. They have a heavier, darker sound than the usual Halifax fare. The song "Trismus" sets forth the key line, "I try to talk to you, but you don't understand," which is magically built in the tempo. It begins with controlled patience but then explodes into conflict. "Heartfelt" reminds me of an Alex Coleville painting; the unnatural calmness tries to conceal some horrific event that is about to happen - calm before the storm - even though it's closer to the end of the album. And, by the way, "Dancing Queen" is a naughty little number, not an Abba cover. Overall the songwriting is very emotional and the musicianship is strong. The production is gritty and live (in studio) which works to their advantage. The vocals are clearer than their other albums, and there's amazing distortion on "Choking Me." Burnt Black are not just heavy metal - they are talented musicians who experiment and have a lot of range. They may, however, be the heaviest sounding musicians in this town! - JC

Location Toronto, Ontario - Canada

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