Burning Tree's self-titled debut album is a perfect example of a CD that was a creative triumph but a commercial disaster. Perhaps the band got lost in the corporate shuffle at Epic, or perhaps the problem was that
Burning Tree's heavy rock was too different from the other heavy rock that was popular at the time.
Burning Tree didn't play glossy pop-metal à la
Poison,
Warrant,
Bon Jovi, or
Winger, and it wasn't a thrash or speed metal band like
Metallica,
Slayer, or
Megadeth. Favoring a very psychedelic approach, the power trio drew on such late-'60s influences as
Jimi Hendrix,
Cream,
Blue Cheer, and
the Yardbirds. Tunes like "Fly On," "Same Old Story," and "Mistreated Lover" pack an exhilarating high-decibel punch, but the group never loses its strong sense of melody. Aggression and melody prove to be a powerful combination for
Burning Tree, a little-known band that should have been famous. ~ Alex Henderson