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The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band is in reality just a trio, but they kick up a hell of a ruckus. A mountain of a man (ordained minister and Kentucky Colonel!), The Reverend's Deep-South mush-mouth roar and brutal dobro slide work pour forth from the good Rev. like a rushing river. Accompanied by his wife Breezy on washboard and his brother Jayme on drums, this Big Damn Band is truly a family affair. Their latest CD, Big Damn Nation, is a hopped-up crash course in raw Delta Blues pounded out with crazed fury. But The Reverend is no modern primitive. Traces of the East Coast Piedmont Style and Southern Gospel heard in his high-energy guitar wrangling betray a clever mind, well-versed in numerous other genres, as well. Like a rabid wolf crossed with Leadbelly, Reverend Peyton bellows and howls wildly while his right thumb drops like a sledgehammer on the guitar strings, threatening to shatter his national steel under the force of his frenzied picking style. "Boom Chank" is not just a song; it is the Big Damn Band's signature rhythm, the foundation of their sound. Though back-beated by the simplest, most repetitive of grooves, it perfectly sums up their heart-pounding fervor. Stomp your feet and clap your hands (boom-chank). This shit is red hot. (RH) Grade: A
