BPMD Cover “We’re An American Band”
BPMD — the new heavy metal juggernaut featuring vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth from Overkill, Sons Of Apollo drummer Mike Portnoy, bassist Mark Menghi from Metal Allegiance and guitarist Phil Demmel from Vio-lence — will release its debut album, American Made, on June 12 via Napalm Records. The 10-track homage to some of rock music’s greatest treasures is turbocharged by the experience and enthusiasm of its four creators.
Today, the members of BPMD have revealed their third single, the charging new version of Grand Funk Railroad’s classic anthem “We’re An American Band.”
Menghi says about “We’re An American Band”: “The goal of ‘American Made’ was, and is, to pay tribute to some of the great music of the ’70s, in particular American music from the ’70s. We love music from all over the world; England, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Australia, etc… but at the end of the day, we are an American band, so it made sense to pay tribute to one of the greatest American bands of the ’70s by covering one of the greatest songs of that decade by the mighty Grand Funk…
“Being that this song was originally written about being on tour, we’ve been reminiscing about days on the road and how much we miss our fans. Touring is the lifeblood of most bands.
“We can’t wait to perform some shows and play these BPMD tunes, and see music flourish in a live setting once again.”
Blitz adds: “‘American Band,’ in my opinion was the icing on the cake for this project. The idea of American Made, the ’70s called for it. The song was iconic then and truly stood the test of time. The call and answer between my vox and Phil’s guitar on the outro make the track that much more special.”
It’s evident within the initial seconds of BPMD’s American Made, as Blitz chants the introductory lyrics to Ted Nugent’s “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang” in his signature skyscraper-high howl, that he and his equally iconic bandmates are here to have a damn good time. Featuring 10 unforgettable rock classics reimagined as heavy bangers, American Made is a party on wax. Tracks such as the raucous “Toys In The Attic” and the rager-ready “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” from ZZ Top prove that BPMD not only manages to capture the essence of each original track on the album, but skillfully transforms each classic into an unforgettable metallic anthem for a new age. The seasoned quartet flex their musical muscles on renowned classics such as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Saturday Night Special” and “Walk Away” by James Gang, and introduce a whole new heavy generation to deeper cuts like “Evil” and “Never In My Life.” Channeling nostalgia while maintaining a fresh attitude, American Made is a summer soundtrack for all ages.
Menghi remarked on BPMD’s origins: “Last summer, right after the Fourth of July, I was sitting in my backyard. I was listening to a bunch of ’70s stuff and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Saturday Night Special’ came on. I said, ‘Man, I would love to play that song,’ and my eight-year-old son turned to me and said, ‘You should do a record of all these songs, Dad.’ And I was like, ‘Hmmm? Yeah, why not!?!'”
After connecting over their mutual love for the classics and forming their current line-up, the members of BPMD traveled to Portnoy’s home studio in Pennsylvania and set up shop. Since the whole concept of the band was born the night Menghi was listening to “Saturday Night Special,” BPMD were determined to record the song for the album. Beyond that, each musician picked two ’70s rock tracks and everyone had to learn them!
Menghi chose “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” in addition to “Saturday Night Special.” Blitz’s choices were a little more obscure — “Never In My Life” replete with cowbell and a blazing repeated blues lick, and Cactus’s version of “Evil,” a fiercely Zeppelin-like take on an old Willie Dixon song. For his tracks, Demmel picked “D.O.A.” and had a blast channeling his inner Eddie Van Halen, and took a deep dive with “Tattoo Vampire.” Recalling the days when Ted Nugent was more of a bad boy than a gunslinger, Portnoy picked “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang,” in additon to “Toys In The Attic.”
Menghi, who also co-produced American Made, added: “We didn’t go into it trying to make everything metal, we just wanted to play the way we play and this is what you get… we’ve all been influenced by a wide variety of bands including Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Metallica. So, of course, we’re going to attack the songs a little harder than guys that didn’t grow up on heavy music.”
Blitz stated: “We made sure we did high-quality versions of these songs and gave them all a little twist. I think there’s a place for that in the music world today. There’s something really great about nostalgia, especially if it’s reimagined.”
American Made was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis, also known for his work with Metal Allegiance (featuring Menghi and Portnoy), as well as artists such as DevilDriver, Trivium, and many others.
