Here to Save You All

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.