Barren The Hanged Man

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BARREN, the death/doom metal band from Blackwood, NJ, is set to release their highly anticipated debut album, The Hanged Man, on October 31, 2024, via Skull House Records. Formed in 2020 by longtime friends Andrew Campbell (guitars, vocals, bass) and Nick Bonsanto (drums, percussion), BARREN’s music is an unflinching exploration of addiction, trauma, and despair, with a sonic landscape that is both punishing and deeply emotional. The Hanged Man is a concept album that chronicles Campbell’s six-year battle with heroin addiction, leading listeners through a visceral journey of hopelessness, withdrawal, relapse, and desolation. Each track represents a chapter in this dark narrative, with the band seamlessly blending heavy doom riffs, death metal intensity, and moments of atmospheric reflection.

The album opens with “Unheard,” a bleak introduction that sets the tone of isolation and self-loathing, foreshadowing the spiral into despair that follows. “Death Interrupted” picks up the pace with SABBATH-inspired riffs, narrating the horrifying experience of an overdose interrupted by Narcan, its chaotic rhythms reflecting the violent jolt back to life. “Ruminations” dives into obsessive thinking and the self-destructive cycles of addiction, with expansive, desolate soundscapes evoking feelings of confusion and helplessness. The centerpiece of the album, “L’appel du Vide,” features guest guitarist Peter Hraur of LÖR, and is inspired by Campbell’s childhood experience of the ‘call of the void’—the inexplicable urge to leap into the unknown. The track builds from a slow snare march into a swirling abyss of hazy riffs and ends with a soaring, frantic guitar solo, perfectly capturing the dread of confronting nothingness. The album closes with “Among the Pines,” a tale of abandonment and ultimate self-destruction, based on Campbell’s time living in isolation after burning every bridge in his life. The track’s haunting conclusion echoes the album’s central themes of hopelessness and loss, leaving listeners with a chilling sense of finality.

Produced, mixed, and mastered by Campbell himself at Skull House Studio, The Hanged Man represents a deeply cathartic creative process for the band, allowing Campbell and Bonsanto to confront the darkest periods of their lives. The rawness of Campbell’s personal story, coupled with BARREN’s ability to blend elements of doom, death, and prog metal, results in a record that is as emotionally heavy as it is sonically devastating. BARREN draws influence from bands like CONAN, PALLBEARER, and OPETH, blending crushing riffs with progressive elements to create an immersive and uniquely dark sound.

About BARREN:

BARREN was formed in 2020 in Blackwood, New Jersey, by Andrew Campbell and Nick Bonsanto, two lifelong friends and collaborators who had previously played together in several underground metal projects, including EMPRESS, ARCANICA, THRASHOLE, and LÖR. The formation of BARREN came at a time of deep personal transformation for Campbell. Music became an outlet for him to process the pain, isolation, and emotional turmoil he had experienced, and BARREN quickly became the vehicle for this catharsis. Together, Campbell and Bonsanto, who also witnessed many of these struggles firsthand, crafted a sound that was raw, heavy, and filled with a sense of emotional gravity.

The bond between Campbell and Bonsanto runs deep, having grown not only as musicians but also as friends who stood by each other through some of life’s darkest moments. Their previous bands were often rooted in thrash and death metal, but BARREN allowed them to explore a slower, heavier, and more atmospheric style, pulling influences from doom metal giants like CONAN and PALLBEARER, as well as progressive and experimental elements found in bands like OPETH. Their music is defined by crushingly heavy riffs, thunderous percussion, and moments of eerie calm, mirroring the emotional highs and lows of the stories they tell through their songs.

BARREN’s creative direction is intimately tied to Campbell’s personal journey. The band’s debut album, The Hanged Man, is not only a sonic exploration of doom and death metal but also a deeply personal narrative of addiction, despair, and the search for redemption. The themes of the album are drawn directly from Campbell’s experiences, with songs addressing the darkest moments of his life—from the chaos of addiction to the moments of hopelessness and withdrawal, and ultimately the solitude that followed. Bonsanto’s drumming reflects the deep emotional resonance of these experiences, building atmospheres that shift between crushing heaviness and moments of sparse, haunting calm.

Despite being a relatively new band, BARREN has quickly established themselves as a unique voice in the doom metal scene, combining Campbell’s deeply personal lyrics with a sound that is as expansive as it is heavy. The band’s DIY ethos is evident in every aspect of their work; Campbell handled all aspects of production, mixing, and mastering at Skull House Studio, ensuring that the album’s raw, emotional intensity was captured in every track. The inclusion of guest guitarist Peter Hraur of LÖR on “L’appel du Vide” adds another dimension to their sound, further showcasing the band’s versatility and ability to blend different styles within the metal genre.

As a band, BARREN represents not just the music, but the journey of survival and recovery. Their music speaks to those who have walked through the fire of addiction and come out the other side, often scarred but still standing. The Hanged Man is more than just a debut album—it’s a statement of resilience, a deeply personal confession, and a powerful introduction to a band poised to leave a lasting impact on the metal community. With Campbell’s heavy, introspective songwriting and Bonsanto’s dynamic drumming, BARREN is a force that blends the brutality of doom and death metal with emotional depth and narrative complexity.

Barren is:

Andrew Campbell – Guitars, Vocals, Bass, Production 
Nick Bonsanto – Drums and Percussion Credits: 

All songs written by Andrew Campbell
L’appel Du Vide features Peter Hraur of Lör on Lead Guitar.
Mixed & Mastered by Andrew Campbell