Backbiter is a protopunk band from

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California that has received national recognition. They played their first show October 23, 1991, at the Shamrock Bar in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, CA on a bill with Dicktit, the Jack Brewer Band and The Drills (whose organist,

Jeff Muendel Jeff Muendel is an author, Hammond organist/keyboardist, and electric guitarist who has written several novels and played with bands including RattleboneBackbiter Circus of Power, Masters of Reality, The SilosHum Machine anInstead We Smile Early ...

, later joined Backbiter for a few years and one album). Singer/guitarist Jonathan Hall had been playing in Texorcist (the Los Angeles band with Linda "Texacala" Jones, formerly of Tex and the Horseheads, not the Texas band of the same name) and the Angry Samoans with and bassist Heath Seifert. They jammed with drummer Bob Lee (one of the

Devo Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a ...

Bob drummers) and the power trio came together, playing local clubs such as the notable post-punk hangout,

Raji's Raji's was a rock and roll nightclub in central Hollywood, open in the 1980s and early 1990s. It was located in the Hastings Hotel building, 6160 Hollywood Blvd. The space had previously been occupied by a Greek restaurant called The King's Palac ...

. The band released their first CD, Get Together in 1994. A second effort in 2001, a split-CD with Swedish band Elope on Man's Ruin Records (MR-2015) featured Muendel on

Hammond B3 Hammond may refer to: People * Hammond Innes (1913–1998), English novelist * Hammond (surname) * Justice Hammond (disambiguation) Places Antarctica * Hammond Glacier, Antarctica Australia *Hammond, South Australia, a small settlement in South ...

organ. Hall doesn’t sing about warlocks and unicorns, nor does the group sludge it up in an overtly

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

fashion, but the association with Man’s Ruin has associated them with the Stoner rock movement. That release is arguably their heaviest. The band released a third album in 2006, once again as power trio sans the organ. The band continues to play live shows throughout California. They received ''

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...

''{{'s Heavy Metal Band of the Year award, which was presented to them by musician

Ronnie James Dio Ronald James Padavona (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010), known professionally as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal singer. He fronted and founded numerous bands throughout his career, including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and H ...

Band members

Current members

* Jonathan Hall - vocals, guitar *

Heath Seifert Kevin M. Kopelow (born June 28, 1963 in Los Angeles, California) and Heath Seifert (born 1968Date of birth per Intelius search in Los Angeles, California) are an American television writing and producing team. They have written and produced ''A ...

- bass * Bob Lee - drums, vocals

Former members

- Hammond organ (1994–1997)

References

''L.A. Weekly'' band review and history

''Village Voice'' article

Musical groups from Los Angeles Protopunk groups