A labor of love often starts through respect of certain musicians in the local scene. Such is the case for Washington State act Hangfire – as guitarist Sean Searls and bassist Steven Tolbeck crossed paths wanting to develop a new, melodic heavy metal band with classic roots. Within the next three years they found drummer Shannon Laird and vocalist Jenea Fiore, releasing three singles in succession from January-March of 2025, stoking the embers of fire for their debut album Burn. And for those who love artists such as Burning Witches, Warlock, Judas Priest, and 3 Inches of Blood among others, there’s plenty here to enjoy, process, and headbang incessantly about.
The precise attack of main riffing plus supplementary supportive catchy to shredding hooks from Sean Searls makes its presence felt on “Warhawk” – the crunchy chord combinations align well with Screaming / Defenders-era Judas Priest, while the calmer transition midway through provides dynamic relief from Jenea’s serene note choices before ramping up the energy level for the thoughtful lead break. Strong, groove-oriented rhythm section work clearly can offer up other swinging elements – exposing a more soulful, personal delivery vocally to make “White Lie” another early standout. Old Western accents from an acoustic guitar / windblown intro to a jam-like acoustic/electric section two-thirds through take “Outlaw” into rarefied territory, an almost six-minute arrangement that blends together classic power riffs with a passionate main vocal delivery that saunters in and around more slamming earworm transitions.
Beyond the stunning diversity present on the musical end of things (the ballad “Falling Awake” another mesmerizing number that has some killer multi-part harmonies next to the acoustic/electric shifts), the obvious star quality in the voice of Jenea Fiore will take this group beyond state lines into global recognition. Her control, scooping of notes, personal inflections, and proper knowledge of what makes a traditional heavy metal vocalist stand out will keep listeners attentive from the lower register verses to subsequent screams on “Hunger”, all the way through her theatrical higher register work on closer “Fire In the Night”. Doro Pesch, Pat Benatar, Ann Wilson aspects all show up, but there’s just this next level charm that’s going to keep Hangfire interesting to watch through subsequent recordings.
Twelve tracks of fist pumping traditional heavy metal with enough drive and energy to take those older influences to impress upon a current generation looking for new artists to treasure – Burn will be one of those debut albums talk about for many, many years. The Pacific Northwest has another winner on its hands through Hangfire – here’s hoping for a long, fruitful career to explore, as they possess all the talent and tools to go places.