BackWordz

BackWordz, a five-piece outfit fusing metal with hip-hop sensibilities, channels its politicized themes through sounds shaped equally by Nas and Lauryn Hill on one side and Korn and Pantera on the other. Eric Dewayne July fronts the Dallas, Texas group, which also features bassist/vocalist Alex James, drummer Robbie Rosales, and guitarists Kevin Kerestes and Marcello Garcci. The musicians came together in late 2014 once July had exited Fire from the Gods; after meeting the remaining members and recognizing a shared outlook, they launched the project. An outspoken Christian Anarcho-Capitalist Libertarian, July voices his pointed perspectives through a combination of rapping and screaming, while James supplies harmonic support above the ensemble’s incisive riffs and pounding percussion. Their first full-length release, Veracity on Stay Sick Records, appeared in 2017 and registered on the alternative, rock, and rap charts, reaching number two on the Billboard Heatseekers listing in its opening week.