Burning Path Self-Titled Review
Burning Path
Self-Titled
Dying Victims Productions
2026
Chile’s Burning Path rises from the ashes of Lucifer’s Hammer, a band whose legacy was tragically cut short in 2024 when frontman Hades was senselessly murdered. What should have been the end instead became a line in the sand. Refusing to let his brother’s voice and vision fade into silence, Titan, alongside longtime guitarist Hypnos, forged Burning Path, not as a reboot, not as a nostalgia grab, but as a continuation of blood, sweat, and steel.
The band’s self-titled debut makes one thing immediately clear: this isn’t a reinvention. Longtime LH fans will feel right at home, as the core DNA remains intact, sharp riffs, melodic hooks, and that unmistakable Heavy Metal heartbeat. The biggest shift comes at the mic, where Titan steps up and delivers with conviction, grit, and reverence. I’ll be honest, I missed the boat on Lucifer’s Hammer while they were active, and after digging into their catalog, that realization stings. But Burning Path doesn’t feel like a consolation prize. It feels like the next chapter.
My first spin had me double-checking to see if I’d accidentally unearthed some long-lost cassette from the early ’80s. This album sounds authentically dated in the best possible way, channeling the spirit of bands like Heavy Pettin’, Malice, and Dokken, with just enough AOR sheen to keep things soaring without going soft. It’s melodic, confident, and unapologetically rooted in a time when Heavy Metal lived and died by hooks and heart.
Soundwise, this album is pure vintage - warm, analog, and refreshingly unpolished. No modern studio trickery, no overproduction, just honest Metal that breathes. If you’re an old dog like me who grew up on Headbangers Ball, tape trading, and blind-buying records just because the logo looked mean enough, Burning Path should absolutely be on your radar.
Standouts – “When Darkness Falls”, “Take Me High” and “Chasing The Future”.