CD Info

2012

Self Released / United States
3 Tracks

English Lyrics

Festivals are a great way to discover new bands. Though I haven’t had the opportunity to attend Metal Female Voices Fest, Flight of the Valkyries, and others that showcase female-fronted rock and metal, I often check out their line-ups to see if I can find more bands I might like. That’s how I heard about Burning Eve. This hard rock quartet from Elmwood Park, Illinois performed at Dame-Nation 2012, the fourth annual installment of a female-fronted rock and metal festival in Chicago held on June 30. Doctor T was floored by this band’s performance and called Burning Eve (especially singer Ania "Toyah" Tarnowska) "dynamic" and "animated" in his report on Dame-Nation 2012. And after listening to Burning Eve’s self-titled debut EP, I wholeheartedly second the Doc’s opinion.

Burning Eve does in 10 minutes what any good record should: It leaves an immediate impact on the listener’s memory. Burning Eve’s guitar-fueled sound with vigorous drumming could punch you in the gut and wrestle you to the ground. Each track clocks in between 3 to 3 ½ minutes and introduces the vocal and musical hooks as soon as possible. Thus, Burning Eve’s songs are concise and catchy enough to earn heavy radio rotation without compromising the music’s edge and power. What makes this EP so entertaining, though, is Polish-born, flaming-redhead Toyah. Her gravelly, full-force vocals bristle with charisma and attitude. She sounds so alive behind the mic that one could swear they’re hearing a live recording – or better yet, attending a Burning Eve show. That’s a feat that even big-name bands rarely accomplish.

So it’s no surprise that Burning Eve gets right to the meat of their sound on this EP. Perseverance anthem "Bleeding" cruises along with lively rhythms and terrific singsong melodies from Toyah. Crowds will even fist-pump along with the briefly slower bridge that slithers like a snake through classic metal sludge. And with that metaphor, it’s appropriate that "Serpent" comes next. The clash of thundering riffs and erratic dynamics is already a treat – but Toyah ’s raw screams really ignite the fire. The lyrics describe a toxic relationship bordering on claustrophobia: "You're closing in / I can't come clean / It's killing me / Hard to explain / When there's no way to set things free / … There’s no way out / To the other side."

The third and final track on Burning Eve is the ballad "Embrace."  It begins with an acoustic soul-rock vibe and Toyah opening the first verse as if it were a diary of her deepest thoughts: "It feels like there’s no gravity / No smile covered pain in me, and I see / All these ghosts forbidden / Come back to me now." The song gradually builds in emotion and volume until it crests with Kenny Lawson’s wailing guitar solo. Burning Eve are using this song as the EP’s single; and while I think "Bleeding" would have been a more appropriate choice, "Embrace" is appealing in its own way.

What irks me a little about the EP version of "Embrace" is that it’s been shortened for radio airplay. The music video, however, uses the full-length track. So, why don’t we get the original for Burning Eve? Maybe it will end up a full-length album? That’s a moot point to be stuck on, though. Especially when I have no complaints about Burning Eve. However, as I’ve said before here at the Zine, I can’t convince myself to award "Grade A" marks an EP, regardless how impressed I may be. These short records are only meant to be teasers, to give listeners a taste of the banquet to come. Though each song on Burning Eve shows different sides of the band, three songs just aren’t enough to satisfy my curiosity. I still need – and want – to hear more from Burning Eve before I can make a complete judgment of their music.

That doesn’t mean I’m not excited by what I’ve heard on Burning Eve. A fusion of classic metal and modern hard rock works when the music throbs with energy, exudes personality, and dares to play with different moods. Burning Eve have achieved exactly this with only their first trio of songs. In fact, they’ve accomplished more than some bands have mustered with three or four times as much material. Then again, it’s impossible not to with a feisty vocalist like Toyah grabbing your attention and never letting go. Apparently Burning Eve are working on a full-length album, though I’ve found no details about its progress to date. But when that album is ready, I’ll be one of the first in line to get it.

8.5 / 10

Recommended for fans of female-fronted hard rock and alternative rock / metal, or for fans of Halestorm, Kobra and the Lotus, Flyleaf, and The Pretty Reckless

Listen to Burning Eve in its entirety at ReverbNation, and purchase it from the band’s webshop, Amazon, CD Baby, or iTunes   

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