Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album| | name = Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar | type = Album | artist = Chemlab | cover = ChemlabBurnOutattheHydrogenBar.jpg | alt = | released = {{Start date|1993|3|22}}<ref name="schwannspectrum">{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j8EZAQAAIAAJ |title=Schwann Spectrum |journal=Schwann Spectrum |publisher=Stereophile, Incorporated |date=2000 |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=85 |isbn=9781575980782 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref> | recorded = | venue = | studio = Chicago Trax Recording Studio {{small|(Chicago, IL)}} | genre = Industrial rock, industrial metal | length = 43:00 | label = Fifth Colvmn/Metal Blade | producer = {{hlist|Jeff "Critter" Newell|Jared Louche|Dylan Thomas Moore}} | prev_title = 10 Ton Pressure | prev_year = 1990 | next_title = Magnetic Field Remixes | next_year = 1994 }}

'''''Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar''''' is the debut studio album of industrial rock band Chemlab, released on March 22, 1993, by Fifth Colvmn and Metal Blade Records.<ref name="billboard96">{{cite magazine |first=Doug |last=Reece |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yQkEAAAAMBAJ |title=Popular Uprisings |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |date=October 19, 1996 |volume=108 |issue=42 |pages=24 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref> It represents the band's only studio release via the label Metal Blade and was reissued by Invisible Records on November 30, 1999.<ref name="musicmaster">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KpFLAAAAYAAJ |title=R.E.D. MusicMaster ... Deletions |publisher=Retail Entertainment Data Publishing |date=2001 |isbn=9781900105217 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name="schwannspectrum"/> Each "suture" is an instrumental piece splitting the main tracks apart. The track "Suicide Jag" was featured in the game ''Saints Row: The Third''. The album was produced by Jeff "Critter" Newell and has been considered by critics to be a defining moment within the coldwave genre.<ref name="optionmag95">{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_y5LAAAAYAAJ |title=Chemlab |journal=Option |publisher=Sonic Options Network |date=1995 |volume=60-63 |issue=65 |pages=23–24 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name="mixmagazine">{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WZY7AQAAIAAJ |title=Chemlab: ''Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar'' |journal=Mix |publisher=Mix Publications |date=1993 |volume=17 |issue=10–12 |pages=250 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name="musicsound">{{cite book |first=Nicolae |last=Sfetcu |author-link=Michelle Vogel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kXyFAwAAQBAJ |title=The Music Sound |publisher=Nicolae Sfetcu |date=May 7, 2014 |page=222 |accessdate=July 28, 2019}}</ref><ref name="newyorkrock">{{cite book |first=Steven |last=Blush |author-link=Steven Blush |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ezTpDAAAQBAJ |title=New York Rock: From the Rise of The Velvet Underground to the Fall of CBGB |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |date=October 4, 2016 |page=348 |isbn=9781250083616 |accessdate=July 28, 2019}}</ref><ref name="downwardspiralbook">{{cite book |first=Leonard |last=Kreger II |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hrgsL0SWXToC |title=The Downward Spiral: Beginnings and Endings |publisher=Xlibris Corporation LLC |date=July 10, 2012 |page=331 |isbn=9781450098922 |accessdate=July 28, 2019}}</ref> In 2018 Chemlab embarked on a tour featuring Dead on TV and GoFight members Daniel Evans, Vince McAley, and Mike Love backing Louche to celebrate the twenty fifth anniversary of the ''Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar''.<ref name="regennews0619">{{cite journal|first=Ilker |last=Yücel |url=https://regenmag.com/news/jared-louche-announces-chemlab-partnering-with-armalyte-industries-with-retrospective-collection-in-the-works/ |title=Jared Louche Announces Chemlab Partnering With Armalyte Industries, With Retrospective Collection in the Works |journal=ReGen |date=June 14, 2019 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name="sonicboomint1">{{cite journal|first=Chris |last=Christian |url=http://www.sonic-boom.com/interview/chemlab-1.interview.html |title=Interview with Jared of Chemlab, Reptile House, Grand Rapids, Michigan |journal=Sonic Boom |date=April 21, 1994 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name="sonicboomint2">{{cite journal|first=Chris |last=Christian |url=http://www.sonic-boom.com/interview/chemlab-2.interview.html |title=Interview with Jared Hendrickson of Chemlab at Chicago Trax |journal=Sonic Boom |date=November 4, 1995 |volume=3 |issue=8 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref> On June 18, 2021, a remaster of the album was released.

==Reception== {{Music ratings |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |first=Rick |last=Anderson |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000110591|pure_url=yes}}|title=Chemlab: ''Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar'' > Review |publisher=Allmusic |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref> }}

''Aiding & Abetting'' gave ''Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar'' a mixed to positive review, commending the guitar work and calling the music "user-friendly industrial dance stuff."<ref name="a&areviews">{{cite journal|first=Jon |last=Worley |url=http://www.aidabet.com/archives/archC.html#CHEMLAB |title=Chemlab: ''Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar'' |journal=Aiding & Abetting |date=June 30, 1993 |issue=36 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref> Rick Anderson of AllMusic awarded the album four out of five stars and said "the band's debut album reveals a group lurching toward tightly controlled sonic pandemonium while still maintaining a firm grip on old-fashioned, blippy, synth riffs and the occasional shred of actual melody."<ref name="allmusic"/> ''Sonic Boom'' described Chemlab as "one of the few true industrial rock bands" and "buried deep under the surface of music are influences so diverse and spread out that one would wonder why this particular fusion of decayed guitars and hybrid electronics would be the music of choice of this east coast duo."<ref name="sonicboom">{{cite journal|first=Chris |last=Christian |url=https://sonic-boom.com/review/chemlab-1.html |title=Chemlab: ''Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar'' |journal=Sonic Boom |date=March 1996 |volume=4 |issue=2 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name="keyboard">{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fqwJAQAAMAAJ |title=Chemlab: ''Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar'' |journal=Keyboard |publisher=GPI Publications |date=1994 |volume=20 |issue=1–6 |pages=27 |accessdate=July 28, 2020}}</ref>

== Sampling ==

The opening spoken‑word sample in the track "Neurozone" has been linked to the 1990 documentary ''Cyberpunk'', directed by Marianne Trench, which features psychologist and writer Timothy Leary. The sample appears approximately 10:22 into the documentary with Leary saying "In the bureaucracy, any individual that thinks for herself is considered a hooligan, or a smartass, or a know‑it‑all, or a troublemaker"<ref>{{cite web |title=Cyberpunk |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398910/ |website=IMDb |access-date=14 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cyberpunk Documentary HD |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxbZq8Zmd88&t=622s |website=YouTube |access-date=14 February 2026}}</ref>

==Track listing== {{Track listing | all_lyrics = Jared Louche | all_music = Dylan Thomas More, except "Suicide Jag" co-written with Mark Kermanj and "Rivet Head" co-written with Mark Kermanj and Steve Watson | title1 = suture | length1 = 0:38 | title2 = Codeine, Glue and You | length2 = 4:45 | title3 = Suicide Jag | length3 = 4:50 | title4 = suture | length4 = 0:10 | title5 = Chemical Halo | length5 = 4:50 | title6 = Neurozone | length6 = 5:57 | title7 = Elephant Man | length7 = 4:10 | title8 = suture | length8 = 1:12 | title9 = Rivet Head | length9 = 3:51 | title10 = Derailer | length10 = 5:05 | title11 = suture | length11 = 0:18 | title12 = Summer of Hate | length12 = 6:46 | title13 = suture | length13 = 0:27 }} {{Track listing | headline = 1999 Reissue | title14 = Chemical Halo | note14 = Remix | length14 = 5:05 | title15 = Suicide Jag | note15 = Remix | length15 = 5:14 }}

==Personnel== Adapted from the ''Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar'' liner notes.<ref name="linernotes">{{cite AV media notes |title=Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar |title-link=Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar |others=Chemlab |year=1993 |type=booklet |publisher=Fifth Colvmn/Metal Blade |location=Washington, DC/Los Angeles, California}}</ref>

'''Chemlab''' * Jared Louche – lead vocals, arrangements, production, art direction, additional programming (3, 9) * Dylan Thomas More – sampler, programming, loops, arrangements, production, art direction, additional programming (3, 9)

'''Additional performers''' * Martin Atkins – remix (14) * Mark Blasquez – remix (15) * Mark Kermanj – drums * Geno Lenardo – sampler (3) * Ned Wahl – bass guitar * Steve Watson – guitar

'''Production and design''' * Duane Buford – assistant engineering * Eric Carter – assistant engineering * Bill Garcelon – assistant engineering * Zalman Fishman – executive-producer * Matthias Heilbronn – editing * Phil Merkle – cover art, art direction * Newton More – photography * Jeff "Critter" Newell – production * Scott Larson – assistant engineering * Geno Lenardo – assistant engineering * Dalton Portella – art direction * Brett Smith – design

==Release history== {|class="wikitable" ! Date ! Region ! Label ! Format ! Catalog |- |rowspan="2"| 1993 |rowspan="3"| United States | Fifth Colvmn/Metal Blade | CD, CS | 3984-14013 |- | Devotion/Fifth Colvmn/Metal Blade |rowspan="2"| CD | 004 |- | 1999 | Invisible | INV 160 |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{Discogs master |master=29652 |name=Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar |type=album}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar}} Category:1993 debut albums Category:Chemlab albums Category:Fifth Colvmn Records albums Category:Invisible Records albums Category:Metal Blade Records albums Category:Albums produced by Jared Louche