Barn Burner

The concept of the sophomore jinx has been beaten to death. We all know when a band have had difficulty reliving, let alone surpassing, the brilliance of their debut album. It happens more often than cops turning on their cherries to burn through a red light for no reason or metal fans thinking yet another detuned chug riff is the equivalent of the Immaculate Conception. Trouble is, with their inaugural album, Montreal's Barn Burner didn't exactly reinvent the wheel, as their sound was an obvious reiteration of somewhat predictable stoner and NWOBHM riffage tarted up with a modestly fresh appeal. Therefore, it stands to reason that follow-up Scum of the Earth would follow suit. Modestly interesting, yet incredibly obvious in every capacity, from influences to outcome, it's more of the same: meandering guitar lines that occasionally venture into eyebrow-raising structures but generally graze around the field of "nothing special." Not unlike a long-forgotten uncle at a family reunion, Scum of the Earth is just kind of present without anyone feeling compelled enough to engage wholeheartedly.