Good stuff here for those who like their southern rock
served up with a side of sludge. Some of it sounds a little like Down crossed
with Molly Hatchet, but the band varies their sound enough to keep things
interesting. ‘Fulton Hill’ starts off with the tasty melodic instrumental “Such
is Life” before switching gears with the raw, noisy “R.R.C.C.”. Not a bad
start, but things really begin to cook on the third track with the boogie rock of “Wage Slave”. “Three Stars” is the sort of classic rock power ballad they
stopped making in the late seventies, and the song makes a good argument for
bringing the model back into production. “Alone Again” and “Struggling for
Balance” are other strong tracks. The band has a good vocalist, and the songs
where he’s allowed to sing to his full potential are my favorites. Songs like
“Bear Baiting” and “Infested” don’t thrill me as much because the vocals are
typical monotone growling. If all you care about is killer riffs, though, then
pretty much every song delivers. (Bob Ignizio)
Here’s more proof that the old
punks can still write better songs than almost any of the young bands running
around these days. The Backdoor Men date back to the late seventies Cleveland
punk scene. Like a lot of area bands from that time period, they kicked around
for a few years and then broke up, influencing a few other local musicians but,
for the most part, fading into obscurity. At the turn of this century, the guys
decided they wanted to play together again, and ultimately wrote about 30 new
songs, 16 of which are on this disc. With their garage rock influences
(something they had way before it became trendy), the band actually sounds
pretty up to date. The songs are simple but played and arranged well, and the
vocals are distinctive and melodic. This band is about having fun, so nothing
too weighty in the lyric department. They descend into novelty tune territory
with “Fuck the French”, but otherwise they avoid becoming a joke band. Overall,
the Backdoor Men are somewhere between bands like The Rubber City Rebels, Rocket
From the Tombs, New York Dolls, etc. and sixties garage rockers like Them, The
Sonics, or The Thirteenth Floor Elevators. If that sounds good to you, check
this out. You can order online at
http://www.handsomeproductions.com. (Bob Ignizio)
This is some weird stuff,
folks. Zappa and Ween are the most obvious reference points, but these guys
have a sound of their own. The basic formula is high caliber musicianship
married to bizarre lyrics. Standout tracks include “I Clean Toilets/I Kill You”
and “King of the Dead Horse Beaters”. If you’re a fan of virtuoso weird rock,
you’ll probably dig this a lot. Others may find it silly and self indulgent.
For what it is, it’s a promising start. The only real weak point is the
production; in particular the cheesy drum machine beats. Otherwise, the songs
are catchy, the musicianship is impressive, and the vocals strong. Go to the
band’s CD Baby
webpage if you want a copy.
Black Nasa are a "stoner rock"
band that mixes a lot of old influences into it's powerful and heavy sound.
Their latest offering, "Deuce", is a psychedelic blend of heavy bluesy bass
riffs, Led Zeppelin-esque guitars, and classic rock drums. The vocals are
similar to Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme. The record is very enjoyable,
and probably more so if you are a big fan of the genre. The musicianship is
outstanding, and the rhythms are on point. The songs are actually quite diverse
for this genre. A lot of times, the "stoner rock" tag means bland
repetitiveness, but Black Nasa avoid that. The use of harp is also a cool touch
to this band. The standouts are the big guitar crunch of "Anyways" and the
tripped out, Ozzy vocal inspired "Light". (Eddie Fleisher)
Good stuff here for those who like their southern rock
served up with a side of sludge. Some of it sounds a little like Down crossed
with Molly Hatchet, but the band varies their sound enough to keep things
interesting. ‘Fulton Hill’ starts off with the tasty melodic instrumental “Such
is Life” before switching gears with the raw, noisy “R.R.C.C.”. Not a bad
start, but things really begin to cook on the third track with the boogie rock of “Wage Slave”. “Three Stars” is the sort of classic rock power ballad they
stopped making in the late seventies, and the song makes a good argument for
bringing the model back into production. “Alone Again” and “Struggling for
Balance” are other strong tracks. The band has a good vocalist, and the songs
where he’s allowed to sing to his full potential are my favorites. Songs like
“Bear Baiting” and “Infested” don’t thrill me as much because the vocals are
typical monotone growling. If all you care about is killer riffs, though, then
pretty much every song delivers. (Bob Ignizio)
Here’s more proof that the old
punks can still write better songs than almost any of the young bands running
around these days. The Backdoor Men date back to the late seventies Cleveland
punk scene. Like a lot of area bands from that time period, they kicked around
for a few years and then broke up, influencing a few other local musicians but,
for the most part, fading into obscurity. At the turn of this century, the guys
decided they wanted to play together again, and ultimately wrote about 30 new
songs, 16 of which are on this disc. With their garage rock influences
(something they had way before it became trendy), the band actually sounds
pretty up to date. The songs are simple but played and arranged well, and the
vocals are distinctive and melodic. This band is about having fun, so nothing
too weighty in the lyric department. They descend into novelty tune territory
with “Fuck the French”, but otherwise they avoid becoming a joke band. Overall,
the Backdoor Men are somewhere between bands like The Rubber City Rebels, Rocket
From the Tombs, New York Dolls, etc. and sixties garage rockers like Them, The
Sonics, or The Thirteenth Floor Elevators. If that sounds good to you, check
this out. You can order online at
This is some weird stuff,
folks. Zappa and Ween are the most obvious reference points, but these guys
have a sound of their own. The basic formula is high caliber musicianship
married to bizarre lyrics. Standout tracks include “I Clean Toilets/I Kill You”
and “King of the Dead Horse Beaters”. If you’re a fan of virtuoso weird rock,
you’ll probably dig this a lot. Others may find it silly and self indulgent.
For what it is, it’s a promising start. The only real weak point is the
production; in particular the cheesy drum machine beats. Otherwise, the songs
are catchy, the musicianship is impressive, and the vocals strong. Go to the
band’s CD Baby
Black Nasa are a "stoner rock"
band that mixes a lot of old influences into it's powerful and heavy sound.
Their latest offering, "Deuce", is a psychedelic blend of heavy bluesy bass
riffs, Led Zeppelin-esque guitars, and classic rock drums. The vocals are
similar to Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme. The record is very enjoyable,
and probably more so if you are a big fan of the genre. The musicianship is
outstanding, and the rhythms are on point. The songs are actually quite diverse
for this genre. A lot of times, the "stoner rock" tag means bland
repetitiveness, but Black Nasa avoid that. The use of harp is also a cool touch
to this band. The standouts are the big guitar crunch of "Anyways" and the
tripped out, Ozzy vocal inspired "Light". (Eddie Fleisher)