“Hillbilly heavy metal art stoner cockfight music”. That’s how Chapstik describe their sound. In these days of bands and critics alike throwing quantum leaping labels around in an effort to shoehorn themselves into a new moneymaking niche or coin the new cool, I’ve a feeling the angry chaps of Chapstik have their Ratfink tongues coiled up firmly in their cheeks, because frankly their music says they don’t subscribe to such phoniness. There is nothing pretentious about these guys. Taking their moniker from the famous lip balm brand, don’t be fooled into thinking this bands songs contain health-giving properties, on exiting your speakers their music is more likely to rip your fucking face off.
Barnburner is the Motor City five’s third album and after 11 years, 23 members and a musical evolution that began with a rough ‘n’ ready but run-of-the-mill punk sound, their road miles have finally taken them to a distinguished destination of their own.
For this release, lippy founding frontman Leighton Mann has recruited a garage rock supergroup of sorts with himself, Erin-Elvis ( both of Glori5) and Hochi (MotorCityBurgers) delivering a three guitar sonic attack over the bass wrangling of Dan G (Paradise, Novadriver) and skin bashing of John Lehl (Diegrinder). The ten downtuned fire breathing tracks on Barnburner are delivered with equal measures of poignant seriousness and witty humour and always with an edge of menace. ‘It’s 8:05’ is a real aggressive mid-paced bastard, the kind of track that plunges a rusty exhaust pipe into your back and gets to work exorcising them demons while ‘Twat’s it to ya?’ snarls and snorts along like a pissed off pit bull in heat. This is all in stark contrast with ‘Man-Hyman Bulldozer’ which pulls out slow Southern Rock roots and ‘Retrocution’ which is a high speed in yer face lecture on old school hardcore and how it‘s meant to be done. I don’t have a favourite track on this album, it offers up tried and tested treatments for all sorts of dirty, dark and sardonic moods but with more true grit and a filthy freshness to boot. It cautions the peers of the stoner and desert rock genres to stop smoking so much and up their game or risk going down. No wait, it actually brings them out to the desert, gets them to dig six foot holes while off their heads on peyote and brains them with a shovel while they’re too spaced out to notice. What it doesn’t do is heal your chapped and chaffed lips.

www.circlemagazine.co.uk
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"Hillbilly heavy metal art stoner cockfight music." That's how Chapstik (notice the lawsuite-proof spelling) characterizes their music, and I'm tempted to just leave my review at that. Because it's damned accurate. But then I wouldn't be able to tell you about how great it is to review music in the stoner/doom genre, because there are so many local masterpieces lurking out there in the hinterlands, and how Chapstik has already managed to carve out their own demented place in music on their very first album, something most bands never do.

Which is all true. Thanks to Arz and Hochi, I'm now turned on to one of the year's best rockin' platters, 'Barnburner.' Brothers! Sisters! It's just a review away, just a review away.....Any fan of heavy rawkin' needs to hear this. It's hard to believe that there is still unclaimed musical territory in genres like doom and/or stoner and/or riffrock or whatever, but like many a fine band Chapstik has found their own turf. From the 'Animal Farm-' style barnyard rebellion artwork on the cover, you're in for a tasty treat from the get-go. 'Cream of Everything' starts things off with rolling drums , feedback, and furious stoner riffing that sets a high bar for quality, a bar that only the best bands can jump over with ease. No problem for these guys. 'It's 8:05' sounds like the MC5 if they would have spent more time on opiates and hallucinogens and less time at the dragstrip. 'Man-Hyman Bulldozer' (har har) starts off all jazzy, with guitars and some retro organ doing a slow build to southern dementia, and 'Slo OJ' begins quietly, gradually transforming into a 'Dirt-' era Stooges or early Mudhoney stomper with a superb guit solo. 'Retrocution' shows some hardcore roots, while ' Black Opium Fermata' cools things off with a slow Melvins/Men of Porn plod.

This is heroin riffrock for the masses. Does it seem as if it's all over the map, stylistically? Well, add in Hank III, 500 Feet of Pipe, Greatdayforup, Speedealer, Honky, Heroin Sheiks, Super Heavy Goatass, and Ironboss, all held together with a roll-your-eyes (check the songtitles) sense of humor. But believe it or not, although you may hear bits and pieces of all of the above, Chapstik are remarkably coherent. The quality songwriting, treated vocals, guitar tone, and most of all the consistent allegiance to The Riff work together to make for a most satisfying Heavy Music Experience. A left-field bull's-eye. Recommended.
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