It isn't every day that one encounters a Nordic band with a Southern sound, but
Backdraft is exactly that -- a band of Swedish headbangers who sound like they could be from Georgia or Alabama.
Backdraft's members even look like they just stepped out of 1975 and have high hopes of landing an opening spot on a
Lynyrd Skynyrd or
ZZ Top tour; however, their debut album,
Here to Save You All, isn't totally retro. Rather, this promising alternative metal effort has one foot in the '70s and the other in the '90s and '00s.
Backdraft has been called stoner rock, but that isn't an accurate description of
Here to Save You All -- certainly not if one's idea of stoner rock (or stoner metal) is
Black Sabbath-obsessed bands like
Orange Goblin,
Acid King,
Goatsnake, and
Eyehategod. Truth be told,
Backdraft's sound is more
Alabama Thunder Pussy than
Orange Goblin -- more
Hammerlock or
Brand New Sin than
Eyehategod. Like
Hammerlock,
ATP, and
Brand New Sin,
Backdraft successfully combines a healthy appreciation of '70s Southern rock with more modern alternative metal. Southern-fried bands like
Lynyrd Skynyrd,
the Outlaws, and
ZZ Top are a strong influence; so are punk and post-'80s metal. And even though
Sabbath is among
Backdraft's many influences, these Swedes aren't nearly as
Sabbath-obsessed as the headbangers one typically associates with stoner rock. But however one categorizes this CD,
Backdraft offers an appealing combination of heaviness and bluesiness -- they can be quite forceful but are never without a strong sense of melody. Nor are they without a strong command of the English language; lead singer Jonas Åhlén has no problem singing in perfect English, which is hardly unusual for a Scandinavian vocalist. Those who like their alt-metal with plenty of Southern-style grit will find a lot to admire about
Backdraft's first album. ~ Alex Henderson