BOBAFLEX

Shaun and Martin McCoy--yeah, those McCoys--founded the band’s first incarnation, a slashing, hard-charging metal outfit that released three records and toured the planet from one side to the other, culminating with a high-profile slot on Megadeth’s Gigantour in 2005 and their breakthrough release, Apologize for Nothing. Their follow-up, Tales from Dirt Town, saw the band incorporate hard-hitting classic rock elements into their already-menacing sonic attack, entering that elusive sweet spot between heavy metal and melodic rock. Just as mainstream radio and a legion of new fans latched on to the Bobaflex joyride, troubles at their label, TVT Records, drew dark clouds over their once-limitless future. In 2009, TVT finally did its best impersonation of the Titanic, and worse, it looked like Bobaflex might be chained to the hull. After prolonged legal wrangling, the band freed themselves from the wreckage, finding themselves back at the starting point after over a decade of shaping their legacy. Like their infamous ancestors, the McCoy boys and their bandmates grit their teeth and got back down to business, starting their own label and heading into the studio to self-produce what has become their defining musical statement. With Hell in My Heart, Bobaflex have risen from the ashes of a dead label to deliver not simply their best album, but one of the best rock albums of 2011. Hell In My Heart is a muscular, hard rock beat down full of paint-peeling guitars, machine gun drums and horn-throwing, singalong choruses. Criminally-talented lyricists, all band members (Shaun McCoy--guitar, vocals; Martin McCoy--guitar, vocals; John Hoskins--guitar, vocals; Jerod Mankin--bass, vocals; Tommy Johnson--drums), contribute to the songwriting process, hammering them into a series of true stories-turned-rock songs that began storming onto top ten lists as soon as the album squinted into the light of day. “Bury Me With My Guns On” sets a swaggering, unapologetic tone with the story of a man so hardened by life that he demands that he be buried with his guns on so he can challenge his Creator to a gunfight. “Chemical Valley,” a punishing anthem full of steroidal guitars and supersonic rhythms, takes on the influx of drugs and cancerous agents seeping into the hills of their hometown in the hills of West Virginia. “Slave” is a filthy, snarling rocker with a chorus that gathers energy like a supernova, while cuts like “Vampire,” “Low Life” and “Hate You” showcase the band’s knack for mature, polished songwriting without sacrificing the rage and energy that make their live shows so exciting. Beyond the hooks, melodies and power is the band’s secret ingredient--their stunning three-part harmony that plays out with unrestrained majesty in their must-hear cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence.” So dead on is the song’s intro that you wonder if indeed you’re hearing the original, until the guitars crash in, momentum swirls and the fury of Bobaflex drives the song into ecstasy. In the wake of Hell in My Heart, Bobaflex have toured the eastern US and continued to conquer radio playlists literally from one coast to the other. With an aggressive summer touring schedule, including an appearance at Rock on the Range, 2012 is the launch point for a breakout year. Of course, slowing down is not an option, and as you read these words, the band are already working on new material. Because no matter how bad or how good things get, Bobaflex never stop fighting.