Plenty of C-tuned stoner rock bands find their way to my mailbox, but Pennsylvania's BACKWOODS PAYBACK is something special. These guys (and girl) have managed to capture the true essence of CLUTCH, SAINT VITUS and SKYNYRD, douse it in Jack Daniels and light it on fire… just because they can. And it doesn't hurt that the man behind the mixer is legendary doom metal producer Chris Kozlowski, who's working with everybody from PENTAGRAM to THE MELVINS.

Now, onto the songs. First off, subtlety is not this band's strong suit, if the chorus of album opener "Mickey Morandini" ("I thought I told you before - I'm a motherfucker!") is any indication. As the album progresses, it becomes clear that these guys try a little harder than most bands in their genre. These tracks run the full gambit of tempos, from moderately slow ("Kill All Hell") to Mrs. Butterworth's slow ("Brandywine") to a combination of the two with "16 Penny Driven", the latter of which featuring none other than Dave "EARTHRIDE/SPIRIT CARAVAN" Sherman. And speaking of trying harder, it's the extra touches like the cry of "Sooo-EYY!" at the beginning of "Bastard Squad" (fans of "The Young Ones", are we?), the laid-back bluesy noodling in "You Shittin' Me?" and the hippie organ in "Brandywine" that make all the difference.

As you can see on this review's header, these guys aren't signed yet. Well, so long as they continue gaining exposure opening up for such acts as CKY and HIGH ON FIRE and keep delivering some of the best stuff the genre has to offer, expect that whole "unsigned" thing to change.

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: www.backwoodspayback.net

RELATED ITEMS: BACKWOODS PAYBACK - "Book One", 2004