Burn Halo is the new project from former 18 Visions frontman James Hart. If you saw 18 Visions perform live over the last few years of their career than you can imagine just what Burn Halo sounds like, straight up rock and roll. Gone are Hart’s heavy metal tendencies and in their place are high energy rock songs about life, love, women, and loss: All the things that make good fodder for rock and roll album.
I have to admit that Hart & Co. almost lost me right off the bat with the album’s inaugural track “Dirty Little Girl.” I went into this album with high hopes and “Dirty Little Girl” is basically juvenile in both delivery and lyrics. After the massive let down though comes something glorious! Beginning with track two, “Save Me,” Burn Halo shows us what they are made of and basically collect the pieces from what 18 Visions could have become. The mid-tempo radio friendly rock of “Save Me,” “Saloon Song,” and “Back to the Start,” all border on Power Ballad territory but are a bit too likeable to stick that often negative connotation to them. “So Addicted” and “Anejo” bring a bit ballsier sound to the record and serve as dynamic boosters for the record.
The true shining moment here though comes at the very end. “Gasoline” is one of the best songs I have heard this year. The uptempo, melodic rocker sounds tailor made for radio and, in this instance, that’s a good thing. If you are going through a breakup right now, you need to at least pick up this single. It’ll be your new anthem. I guarantee it. Overall, this isn’t the best rock record in recent memory but there are enough stellar moments to make it worth your time and money. Fans of Fuel, late nineties Motley Crue (when they got kinda bluesy), and other good, melodic hard rock bands will find a good bit to love about Burn halo’s debut.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
