Backmask

Ever heard of Shane McFee? No? How about John McFee? That might ring a bell. Well, Shane McFee is the singer, songwriter, guitarist, and all-around frontman for BACKMASK. John McFee is his father, and the one and only guitar legend from the Doobie Brothers. This is where Nature vs. Nurture comes in. Did Shane inherit his musical talent from Papa John, or was it learned? Perhaps part of it comes from where he was conceived. Apparently his parents shacked up in the same house where Led Zeppelin wrote and recorded a lot of their material – including “Stairway to Heaven” and “The Immigrant Song” – and nine months later… the stork delivered itty bitty Shaney-poo, guitar in hand. Or… something like that anyway.

I’d say this band’s pretty good, but that’d be an understatement. In truth, they’re amazing! It shows through their mass following, despite the fact that they haven’t even released their first album yet. Although there was a self-recorded full-length demo released when the band first got together in 2001. And their five-track promotional CD, obviously. Or else what the hell would I be reviewing?

The first song on the CD is called “Tomorrow is Dead” – and man, is it a doozy. This track was originally released as a promo track in 2002, just a year after the band formed. It reached #1 on the MP3.com metal charts – which is wicked – and #33 on the MP3.com mainstream charts – which is… unexpected, to say the least, seeing as in doing so the band beat out tons of major label artists. On top of that, the song was acknowledged as Track of the Day on GarageBand.com. Clearly, this band’s doing something right.

All in all, it’s a great song… but something about it is a little – off. “Tomorrow is Dead” features crazy guitar riffs, complemented by a killer beat and – an organ? Not positive, but sounds like it. It’s all rounded out by great vocals and harmonies. So what’s the problem? Maybe it’s the fact that it sounds distinctly like something I’ve heard before. I just don’t know what. That does explain the high ranking on the mainstream chart, if you get what I’m saying….

The other four tracks on the CD follow much the same pattern – with the exception of “Awaken”. That song has a killer intro, totally different than the other songs. Technically speaking, the album is fantastic. Guitar? Wicked. Drums? Wicked. Vocals? Wicked. Originality? Sort of lacking. But nothing a little time and elbow grease won’t fix.

BACKMASK definitely has potential… they proved that long ago. Their sound is great, but at the same time, they’ve got the talent to do so much more. Maybe their new album (which they’re currently working on) will have that unique sound that the band is so clearly capable of. Then, they’ll be better than great… they’ll be phenomenal! Until then… they’re still A-OK in my books.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Tomorrow is Dead
02. Pride
03. Dying Away
04. Awaken
05. Feed The Enemy

Run Time: 18:46