Devil Riding Shotgun
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Devil Riding Shotgun

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"It Came From ReverbNation #18: Featuring 8 Ohms Band, Dead Leaf Echo, Critical Assembly, Devil Riding Shotgun, Jelly Bread, and Brighter Fires"

Devil Riding Shotgun – This band is comprised of three men out of Portland, OR and they clearly want to bury you underneath a landslide caused by their music. Their song submission is some superb doom metal complete with megalithic bass guitar, a sludgy pace, and impassioned vocals. A second song I sampled would fall more under the sludge/stoner metal banner, but it was still pretty doom-y as well. If you want some doom in your life, listen to this band!
- The Ripple Effect


"It Came From ReverbNation #18: Featuring 8 Ohms Band, Dead Leaf Echo, Critical Assembly, Devil Riding Shotgun, Jelly Bread, and Brighter Fires"

Devil Riding Shotgun – This band is comprised of three men out of Portland, OR and they clearly want to bury you underneath a landslide caused by their music. Their song submission is some superb doom metal complete with megalithic bass guitar, a sludgy pace, and impassioned vocals. A second song I sampled would fall more under the sludge/stoner metal banner, but it was still pretty doom-y as well. If you want some doom in your life, listen to this band!
- The Ripple Effect


"Devil Riding Shotgun - S/T"

Devil Riding Shotgun are high on charismatic grooves and low on self-indulgent bullshit and that is exactly what makes this band so good. The band was originally formed in New Mexico by bassist and vocalist Neb Fixico but he moved himself and the tunes to Portland, Oregon in 2009 and have delivered their no-bull, kick ass rock ever since. The self-titled album with its classic Stoner-Metal album art featuring a cute devil-horned girl sitting on a hot-rod gives you the impression this might be another Fu Manchu kind of band with a cock-rock attitude. Put the album on though and you get something much more down-to-earth and stripped down and above all else ballsy. The five songs presented here are all groove-based but delivered with an almost mellow, relaxed vibe that still retains a metallic edge so this is a band that doesn’t fall easily into a particular genre. For the sake of this review, I will call them “Hard Rock” and leave it at that.

Along with Neb Fexico, the other band members Brain Hunter on guitar and Brad Lewellyn on drums are also a no-bullshit bunch of musicians, there is nothing fancy here, no self-indulgent, long-winded jams, no musical complexities, but what it might lack in diversity, it makes up for it in bluesy, groovy riffs and very charismatic vocals. Opening track “Lost” gets off to a rumbling start before launching into a tune that shows these three dudes have a certain chemistry working for them. The grooves here are bass-heavy, the vocals are laid-back and bluesy while the drums crash and smash but driven by a relaxed kind of energy. The guitar work isn’t pretentious or over-blown but some of the lead here, simply shreds. The vocals are maybe the key to how much you like this band, his laid-back style might not be for everyone but I dig his gruff but melodic edge to his voice. Second track “My Breath” features what might be the best guitar work on the EP and also the most infectious grooves. The production on the EP is a little weak however and that doesn’t help the bass and drums too much in terms of giving the guitar a solid back-line. It is not a major issue though as the songs are great and the production gives the tunes a unique personality.

“Who Am I” is the perfect song to knock back a few beers to, the groove backed up by an incredibly infectious laid-back feel reminds me of the kind of vibe you get from most of Brant Bjork’s records, it is different musically but the “cooler than shit” attitude is everywhere. “Here We Go” has a old-school metallic edge to it, something very 80's about this but I can’t put my finger on exactly where it is coming from. The closing track “Fetish” is the heaviest track on offer here, the tune is boosted in the heavy department by the bite of the guitar work from Brian Hunter that shows the band are not one to simply succumb to clichés. The 25 minutes of this EP is solid without showing off in one direction, it is all grooves and infectious but with laid-back melodies. The hardest thing to do here is to recommend it to any one type of listener, after all Stoner-Rock it is not really, nor is it sludge and it is not overly metallic either but it still kicks ass in a very charismatic way so I am stumped to compare this band to anyone else but at the end of the day, that is usually a good thing. This band could go either way in the future from a mainstream following to appreciation from the underground or both, not many bands have that going for them. Please give them a listen and be one of the first to say you heard them before they made it big, if any band has that potential, it is Devil Riding Shotgun.……8/10 - Doommantia


"Devil Riding Shotgun - S/T"

Devil Riding Shotgun are high on charismatic grooves and low on self-indulgent bullshit and that is exactly what makes this band so good. The band was originally formed in New Mexico by bassist and vocalist Neb Fixico but he moved himself and the tunes to Portland, Oregon in 2009 and have delivered their no-bull, kick ass rock ever since. The self-titled album with its classic Stoner-Metal album art featuring a cute devil-horned girl sitting on a hot-rod gives you the impression this might be another Fu Manchu kind of band with a cock-rock attitude. Put the album on though and you get something much more down-to-earth and stripped down and above all else ballsy. The five songs presented here are all groove-based but delivered with an almost mellow, relaxed vibe that still retains a metallic edge so this is a band that doesn’t fall easily into a particular genre. For the sake of this review, I will call them “Hard Rock” and leave it at that.

Along with Neb Fexico, the other band members Brain Hunter on guitar and Brad Lewellyn on drums are also a no-bullshit bunch of musicians, there is nothing fancy here, no self-indulgent, long-winded jams, no musical complexities, but what it might lack in diversity, it makes up for it in bluesy, groovy riffs and very charismatic vocals. Opening track “Lost” gets off to a rumbling start before launching into a tune that shows these three dudes have a certain chemistry working for them. The grooves here are bass-heavy, the vocals are laid-back and bluesy while the drums crash and smash but driven by a relaxed kind of energy. The guitar work isn’t pretentious or over-blown but some of the lead here, simply shreds. The vocals are maybe the key to how much you like this band, his laid-back style might not be for everyone but I dig his gruff but melodic edge to his voice. Second track “My Breath” features what might be the best guitar work on the EP and also the most infectious grooves. The production on the EP is a little weak however and that doesn’t help the bass and drums too much in terms of giving the guitar a solid back-line. It is not a major issue though as the songs are great and the production gives the tunes a unique personality.

“Who Am I” is the perfect song to knock back a few beers to, the groove backed up by an incredibly infectious laid-back feel reminds me of the kind of vibe you get from most of Brant Bjork’s records, it is different musically but the “cooler than shit” attitude is everywhere. “Here We Go” has a old-school metallic edge to it, something very 80's about this but I can’t put my finger on exactly where it is coming from. The closing track “Fetish” is the heaviest track on offer here, the tune is boosted in the heavy department by the bite of the guitar work from Brian Hunter that shows the band are not one to simply succumb to clichés. The 25 minutes of this EP is solid without showing off in one direction, it is all grooves and infectious but with laid-back melodies. The hardest thing to do here is to recommend it to any one type of listener, after all Stoner-Rock it is not really, nor is it sludge and it is not overly metallic either but it still kicks ass in a very charismatic way so I am stumped to compare this band to anyone else but at the end of the day, that is usually a good thing. This band could go either way in the future from a mainstream following to appreciation from the underground or both, not many bands have that going for them. Please give them a listen and be one of the first to say you heard them before they made it big, if any band has that potential, it is Devil Riding Shotgun.……8/10 - Doommantia


"Mini-Review: Devil Riding Shotgun-"Self-Titled""

“Three guys living in Portland, having a good time.” This combined with the killer album artwork are great ways to be introduced to a band. Devil Riding Shotgun is bass heavy doom groove to my ears. It took about three or four listens until I truly appreciated what DRS were conveying. The only complaint I have is the album is gone in a blink of an eye.


First thing I must point out, if you have a nice sound system with a good subwoofer, you must turn the bass up and crank the volume to “11”! This album has some killer bass lines and I believe the entire doom scene will enjoy DRS self titled effort. This next point just may be my opinion, but the lead vocals are scarily reminiscent of Mr. Danzig. I really feel this compliments the sound and I love what you guys are doing. Well done Neb, Brian, and Brad.

Each track flows so very well together, one loses track of the separate songs and simply hears the album as one entire groovy doom work of art. One track that stands out to me would be "Who Am I?" This is another one all the readers here at Heavy Planet must check out. I hope you all enjoy as much as I have!

4.0 out of 5.0 - by Zac Boda for Heavy Planet


"Mini-Review: Devil Riding Shotgun-"Self-Titled""

“Three guys living in Portland, having a good time.” This combined with the killer album artwork are great ways to be introduced to a band. Devil Riding Shotgun is bass heavy doom groove to my ears. It took about three or four listens until I truly appreciated what DRS were conveying. The only complaint I have is the album is gone in a blink of an eye.


First thing I must point out, if you have a nice sound system with a good subwoofer, you must turn the bass up and crank the volume to “11”! This album has some killer bass lines and I believe the entire doom scene will enjoy DRS self titled effort. This next point just may be my opinion, but the lead vocals are scarily reminiscent of Mr. Danzig. I really feel this compliments the sound and I love what you guys are doing. Well done Neb, Brian, and Brad.

Each track flows so very well together, one loses track of the separate songs and simply hears the album as one entire groovy doom work of art. One track that stands out to me would be "Who Am I?" This is another one all the readers here at Heavy Planet must check out. I hope you all enjoy as much as I have!

4.0 out of 5.0 - by Zac Boda for Heavy Planet


"Groove Behind the Wheel and the Devil Riding Shotgun"

Short on bullshit and long on charm, Portland’s Devil Riding Shotgun are the most straightforward band I’ve heard come out of Oregon in years. As a hotbed for the ambient and post-whathaveyou, the Pacific Northwest has thrived creatively, and this trio — guitars, bass/vocals and drums — are neither hyper-intellectualized nor aspiring to influence via avant garde pretense. Not that the cover of their self-released five-song self-titled EP would lead me to think otherwise, with its devil-horned-girl-on-car motif, I just didn’t think there was much traditional stoner rock being made out that way. I was a fool, apparently.

Devil Riding Shotgun is loaded with bass-heavy grooves, standout solos, blues-tinged vocals and quality flow. Neb Fixico, who originally formed the band in New Mexico before moving to Portland with himself on bass and vocals, is the driving force behind most of the material, his molasses-thick tone providing the heft that propels EP-closer “Fetish” from the “it’s alright” to the “fuck yeah” echelon of cool. There’s a crisp metallicism in the guitar work of Brian Hunter, and though he’s outmatched tonally by Fixico, the soul and fleetness of finger he shows soloing on second track “My Breath” — the longest cut on Devil Riding Shotgun at 5:54 — argues heavily in his favor. While we’re arguing, I’d push for more of Brad Lewellyn’s bass drum on that song and elsewhere. Though his cymbals are present enough and cut through, the kick is a barely-audible pulse throughout “Who Am I.” It’s an interesting choice on the part of the band, and it definitely adds to the laid back feel of Devil Riding Shotgun, but a little more oomph in there wouldn’t hurt either.

Still, I’d hardly say Devil Riding Shotgun are held back by it in terms of either the overall affect of these five tracks or the natural sound of the recording. Fixico’s vocals demand much of the attention when they’re present, and the interplay between he and Hunter on a song like “Here We Go,” the central riff of which, when placed in a different context, one might be able to call NWOBHM-inspired. The song structure on that track and throughout Devil Riding Shotgun is relatively simple, and from the start of opener “Lost,” which introduces the band with Fixico’s rumble first, the atmosphere is weighted but not showy about it. That is to say, I don’t think Fixico, Hunter and Lewellyn are trying to convey anything other than the music itself as the point for their having made it. It’s about the grooves, man. God damn.

And they are some sick grooves. In just 25 minutes, Devil Riding Shotgun establish themselves as a trio of players with marked chemistry between them able to pull off a driven stoner aesthetic without being either a desert cliché (album art aside) or an experimental mess. The lack of pretentiousness on the EP is one of its greatest strengths, and coupled with Fixico’s bass and vocals, Hunter’s leads and Lewellyn’s liberal crash, their attack is well conveyed. Fans of the style who want something familiar but not redundant would do themselves a favor in checking out these tracks, as not only do they rock in a style becoming increasingly rare in the shift of trend, but they bode incredibly well for the inevitable growth in songwriting to come. This is a welcome start. - The Obelisk


"Groove Behind the Wheel and the Devil Riding Shotgun"

Short on bullshit and long on charm, Portland’s Devil Riding Shotgun are the most straightforward band I’ve heard come out of Oregon in years. As a hotbed for the ambient and post-whathaveyou, the Pacific Northwest has thrived creatively, and this trio — guitars, bass/vocals and drums — are neither hyper-intellectualized nor aspiring to influence via avant garde pretense. Not that the cover of their self-released five-song self-titled EP would lead me to think otherwise, with its devil-horned-girl-on-car motif, I just didn’t think there was much traditional stoner rock being made out that way. I was a fool, apparently.

Devil Riding Shotgun is loaded with bass-heavy grooves, standout solos, blues-tinged vocals and quality flow. Neb Fixico, who originally formed the band in New Mexico before moving to Portland with himself on bass and vocals, is the driving force behind most of the material, his molasses-thick tone providing the heft that propels EP-closer “Fetish” from the “it’s alright” to the “fuck yeah” echelon of cool. There’s a crisp metallicism in the guitar work of Brian Hunter, and though he’s outmatched tonally by Fixico, the soul and fleetness of finger he shows soloing on second track “My Breath” — the longest cut on Devil Riding Shotgun at 5:54 — argues heavily in his favor. While we’re arguing, I’d push for more of Brad Lewellyn’s bass drum on that song and elsewhere. Though his cymbals are present enough and cut through, the kick is a barely-audible pulse throughout “Who Am I.” It’s an interesting choice on the part of the band, and it definitely adds to the laid back feel of Devil Riding Shotgun, but a little more oomph in there wouldn’t hurt either.

Still, I’d hardly say Devil Riding Shotgun are held back by it in terms of either the overall affect of these five tracks or the natural sound of the recording. Fixico’s vocals demand much of the attention when they’re present, and the interplay between he and Hunter on a song like “Here We Go,” the central riff of which, when placed in a different context, one might be able to call NWOBHM-inspired. The song structure on that track and throughout Devil Riding Shotgun is relatively simple, and from the start of opener “Lost,” which introduces the band with Fixico’s rumble first, the atmosphere is weighted but not showy about it. That is to say, I don’t think Fixico, Hunter and Lewellyn are trying to convey anything other than the music itself as the point for their having made it. It’s about the grooves, man. God damn.

And they are some sick grooves. In just 25 minutes, Devil Riding Shotgun establish themselves as a trio of players with marked chemistry between them able to pull off a driven stoner aesthetic without being either a desert cliché (album art aside) or an experimental mess. The lack of pretentiousness on the EP is one of its greatest strengths, and coupled with Fixico’s bass and vocals, Hunter’s leads and Lewellyn’s liberal crash, their attack is well conveyed. Fans of the style who want something familiar but not redundant would do themselves a favor in checking out these tracks, as not only do they rock in a style becoming increasingly rare in the shift of trend, but they bode incredibly well for the inevitable growth in songwriting to come. This is a welcome start. - The Obelisk


Discography

2007 S/T CD, 8-tracks
2010 S/T CD, 5-tracks. These tracks can be "purchased" for free at http://www.devilridingshotgun.com

Photos

Bio

Formed in Albuquerque, NM in 2005.
Released 8-track CD in 2007.
Relocated to Portland, OR in 2009.
Released 5-track CD in 2010.
Song LOST to be included in soundtrack for extreme ski movie ELEVATION in 2013.