Powderburn

While 2012’s ‘Come And Take It’ EP largely followed the classic-metal-meets-thrash approach that Powderburn have become known for over the past dozen years or so, a much nastier beast has been awoken to represent the band on 2013’s ‘Four Thirty Two’ (aka ‘432’). Opening track ‘Raise The Flag’ is a shotgun blast to the face that calls to mind Pantera circa ‘The Great Southern Trendkill’ and Machine Head circa ‘The More Things Change…’ in equal measure, and almost certainly takes the crown as the heaviest song in the band’s oeuvre to date. Closing track ‘The Substance Of All Things Hoped For’ is a full-barreled technical thrash attack with a brief clean-guitar opening leading into an epic battle of intricate riffage and haunting melodies. ‘Crash’ is the meat in this three-song sandwich of an EP, in more ways than one. Employing both a structure and a galloping lead riff firmly rooted in the hallowed ground sowed by Iron Maiden, but with a faster and heavier approach that is more in line with the Maiden-meets-power-thrash sound – minus the over-the-top vocal histrionics – of acts such as Jag Panzer and Sanctuary, ‘Crash’ – to me – represents Powderburn at their best, with a perfect balance of heaviness, melody, passion, and power. With only three songs, ‘Four Thirty Two’ may not be a full meal, but it most certainly is a fully satisfying – and heavy – snack for headbangers everywhere. - Theimpailerspeaks

Voted #1 Metal Band in Austin
http://www.auschron.com/gbase/Awards/MusicAwards?Year=2002&seentheform=1&MPCategory=Best+Performing+Bands


Voted #1 MP3 for the song "Nation"
http://www.auschron.com/gbase/Awards/MusicAwards?Year=2002&seentheform=1&MPCategory=Best+Texas+Recordings

- Austin Chronicle Music Poll 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006

#1 Austin Metal Band

#1 Austin CD Release Party

#2 Austin Best Male Vocalist (Ken Lockman)

#2 Best Austin Group Deserving a Record Deal

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http://www.theedgemagazine.com/pages/page 34.pdf

http://www.theedgemagazine.com/pages/page 35.pdf

http://www.theedgemagazine.com/pages/page 36.pdf - The Edge Magazine 2003 Readers Poll

POWDERBURN
Local Feature
By Troy Doebbler

Prepare for your face to be
split open, and your head to
explode! Powderburn is
out and taking no prisoners.
With a blend of death and
destruction, this band ‘s ten-song release bounces
the lines somewhere between Fear Factory, Macabre,
Cradle of Filth, and Euro metal. All of the
songs are strong and filled with aggression, but
they tend to stray from the formula with smooth
harmonies and vocals that are blended in that
you do not usually pair with music this hard. That
is one of the major appeals this band seems to
have on people, the diversity to satisfy your heaviest
desires, yet still be inventive and original in
what your are creating. This record still is not for
the light of heart or weak of will. Track four “Hoi
Polloi”, is one of my favorites on the release,
with is laid back beginning that ends up thrusting
you in to the bottomless pit with the chanting of
“run, run, run!” This record all in all is well recorded
with its pounding intensity, and looks top
notch down to the last bit. My favorites on the
disc are “Hoi Polloi”, “Nation”, and “Disguise”.
For more info on this group and where you can
see them next go to their website at
www.powderburn.com. Remember to support live
local music, and definitely check Powderburn
out at a venue in your town, and oh yeah, buy the
damn record! - Edge Magazine - January 2004

Powderburn/Bud/Jolly Garogers
Red Eyed Fly, August 30, 2003

Thanks to The Edge for putting all this together. The show and the compilation CD serving up hard-n-heavy Texas bands, which they so generously doled out to the crowd. Thanks to Manny Escamilla, Powderburn’s manager, for bringing me in for the last two bands. And thanks to the Jolly Garogers pirates for goofing me up while I hid behind a tree, guarding my video camera from the small brood of thrashers who drove me away from the stage. No, thanks to them, I already had my back broken by one of those spastic sacks of bile.

First I saw Bud. Their lead-screamer ripped my face off. Then, the light show fired up as the giant pirate “Stagedive” introduced Powderburn. “There are bands... that will change the course of music. This band... is not them. There are bands that will defile the corpses of their long-dead fans. This band is them!” I held higher expectations than that for Powderburn. I’d seen them before, at the recording studios on Academy, and I was intrigued. Intrigued by their subtle breakouts of eerie guitar/strings, by their extraordinary sense of rising power, and by singer/guitarist Ken Lockman’s mischievous magnetism, his cherubic face and red whips of
hair bleeding over that face like he plowed head-first through plate glass.

What I caught of this jovial event was a good soundtrack for a pitbull fight. Powderburn and Bud are both solid contenders in this punishing, punk/death/rap-infiltrated genre some call New Metal or “Nu Metal” -- a trend currently being cloned and pimped by the corporate world, a trend over
which there has been genre-debate ad-nauseum in the Metal world. I will not try to say who/what is “Metal” (that’s Metal Ed’s job). But, I will try to explain why this sound alienates me like no other heavyweight. The original Metal Gods, from Sabbath to Metallica, didn’t rely on riff-stamping and screaming generic naughty words, because they had supreme powers of creative
articulation. Within the realm of heaviness, they expressed a complexity of emotions and created their own distinct style. This new branch of metal, the worst case of copy-catting since 80’s Glam, has devolved into a minimally-musical, painfully predictable sound expressing juvenile male
anger. Band after band pounds out the same one-chord, bullying riff that is the paradigm for the trend, which even His Retarded Highness Ozzy has finally been sucked into. The craft of song-writing has gone down the toilet.

Having clogged that toilet with my opinion on New Metal, let me plunge forth and admit my affection for Powderburn. They stand out, for one thing because they’re GROOVY - and no less heavy for it. Originality comes through in their guitar breaks and Ken Lockman’s appealing, more sincere (Nirvana-inspired?) singing tone, which adds dynamic to the great hellish yelling. Oh yeah, and ass-kick bassist Greg Enkler has awesome Metal hair. These guys are so cool they must be from the East Coast or something. My main problem with their show was that the only lyrics I could make out were “fuck, motherfucker, bitch,” and “you fuckin’ whore”. Which are words as
useful as any other, if you get the context (I’d like to check out an album; reading the lyrics might reveal what’s more to the story). I dunno, I could relate to it in the punk rock days, but all this cussin’ lately just fucking bores me.

No question, these bands rock hard as hell. Highly recommended

-Beky Hayes - Rank n Review - August 2003

“Best band to come out of Texas since Pantera.”

Dave Lambert
Mindcrank Magazine
Killeen, TX - Mindcrank Magazine

PB delivers a blend of metal with mostly hard-hitting riffs, but the fact that the band sings via THREE different vocal deliveries gives the music a variety of voices & avenues by which to follow. And for those of you who know RMW's - you know that we believe stage presence is just as important as the music & having caught the band live for the 1st time at the beginning of this month, they do not disappoint. Its easy to see that they have many shows under their belts & though young by nature are seasoned musicians with much to offer an audience. - Robbs Metal Works

To view a PDF version of the magazine go to:
http://www.powderburn.net/pdfs/TheEdge_2_05_page18.pdf


http://www.powderburn.net/pdfs/TheEdge_2_05_page19.pdf - The Edge Magazine - February 05 Readers Poll

Echoed in Red is a strong and compact EP with 6 energetic power metal tracks. Powder Burn gets you started with the title track "Echoed in Red", it contains an enormous catchy drive. All of the songs are quite lyrics orientated and some of them do remind me of Linkin Park, when it comes to the explosive energy. There are even some moments on Echoed in Red that make the 80s hardrock come alive for a short while.

The guitar playing is overall quite indestructible , but it has it's lush moments also. These lush moments make Echoed in Red a well balanced album for those who like to hear instruments being "tortured" on one hand and on the other hand also like to hear exceptionally refreshing sounds from the guitars and percussion.

All the songs are written before there were lyrics, except the song "Oceans" where the lyrics came first. The intro of "Oceans" is kind of a short break, what seems to be a resting point on the cd, but in fact it's a prelude to another outrageous outburst, I think it has something to do with the story behind the lyrics. Well just watch the DVD and you'll know what I mean ;-)

Though there are no keyboards credited on Echoed in Red there is a marvelous intro on "Here and After" something that asks for more.....
- RateYourMusic.com