Hoss: Backwoods Boogie

Admittedly, when I first moved here and kept hearing people talk about “Hoss,” I thought I was surrounded by a bunch of diehard Bonanza fans ... obviously I was mistaken.

With their newly released 11-track album Backwoods Boogie, Hoss — a locally based southern fried metal/rock band — has enlisted eclectic and talented producer Rogers Masson to man the soundboards. Masson lets these guys be themselves and sound like it on the album. There’s no cookie-cutter “modern rock” production going on — just the sound of a tight rock band banging away.

Using the “power trio with a vocalist” approach, they construct simple, Mac truck heavy grooves that give singer Dustin Demos room to do his thing. Influences that come to mind are Black Sabbath, Black Label Society, early Danzig (especially in some of Demos’ vocals), Godsmack and maybe a bit of Audioslave, primarily in the interlocking nature of their parts.

The title track, “Backwoods Boogie” has got to be the first time I’ve heard metallic boogie and blazing harmonica tied together with Pantera-esque barked vocals. “Southcreek” follows a similar formula, with guitarist Rick Balliot adding some Tom Morrelo-ish tremolo to the stew. Balliot’s playing shows a firm command of the classic rock guitar lexicon, along with the restraint to just groove with drummer Jody Cooper and bassist Ron Orr when the time is right.

“No Sympathy” provides some nice texture in the intro with the use of sustaining, crunchy power chords ringing behind a chiming acoustic guitar melody. The eerie, spoken vocals in the verse give way to a typically furious chorus. The real treat is the wonderfully understated, Pink Floyd-flavored outro, complete with delicate piano. Just when I thought I knew what was coming next, Hoss demonstrates their, well ... softer side, shall we say.

Standouts for the rest of the disc are the rolling 6/8 feel of “Awesome Wonder” and “Drugtest,” with it’s chugging White Zombie styled intro and verse, breaking into a speedy post-hardcore chorus. The trippy panning moves are a nice touch. The early Pantera influence appears again on “One Night and 29 Years,” which is probably one of the most brutal and powerful tracks on the album.

If you’re a fan of sensitive power ballads or bouncy pop music, you may find yourself looking elsewhere. But I don’t think Hoss makes any claims to be an “everything” band. They are developing a recognizable voice by sticking with what they do the best: crafting tightly coiled, defiant southern metal. Now go put on your stomping boots and check them out live.

— Chris Cooper

(Chris Cooper is a Sylva-based music teacher and In Your Ear guru also known to have an affinity for Leo Kottke and the comic strip Get Fuzzy.)