“Dirty Little Girl,” the first song and single from Burn Halo’s self-titled debut, is similar in its subject matter and approach to “Use Me,” the first song and single from Hinder’s second album, Take It to the Limit (2008). (Burn Halo: “She don’t love me, but I don’t seem to mind.” Hinder: “She’s gonna use me, but I like it.”) But while Hinder’s song sounds like something Mötley Crüe rejected back in the 1987, Burn Halo’s mixes a modern, Avenged Sevenfold-type edge (A7X guitarist Synyster Gates appears on the track) with the raucous ‘80s hard rock feel. Hinder comes across tired and calculated; Burn Halo feels fresh, exciting.

Let’s back up. When Eighteen Visions broke up in early 2007, frontman James Hart wasted little time in getting to work on a new batch of tunes with songwriter/producer Zac Maloy. Employing a group of studio musicians (Nickelback drummer Daniel Adair, former Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and guitarist Neil Tiemann) before putting together a band to take on tour, the resulting album is very much Hart’s vision. Island/Def Jam initially signed the band, but someone there must have heard something—I can’t image what it was—they didn’t like because the label elected in early 2008 to not release the album. So the band’s manager, Bret Bair, formed his own label, partnered with the Warner Music Group and here we are.

The album is a solid hard rock record front to back. In addition to “Dirty Little Girl,” highlights include the grooving “Save Me” and the emphatic “Our House,” which received national attention during the NFL Network’s coverage of the Dallas Cowboys/Baltimore Ravens game in December 2008 and could become a rallying cry for sports teams nationwide. There might be one ballad too many, though I don’t know which one I would cut—they’re all good songs that showcase Hart’s emotive voice. “Here with Me,” in particular, stands out, reminding me a bit of Buckcherry. I can picture thousands singing along to this one at a summer festival. Burn Halo signals Hart’s arrival as a major talent in the hard rock world.