Scott H. Biram

Scott H. Biram probably didn't shake hands with the devil at the crossroads. But the Texan's storied background and demonic fusion of gospel, delta blues, and black metal make one wonder.

For example, in 2003 Biram was nearly killed after colliding head-on with an 18-wheeler. He broke both legs, a foot, and an arm. Yet six weeks later he rolled back onstage, performing in a wheelchair while attached to an IV.

That same year he dropped his third self-released disc, Lo-Fi Mojo, recorded live on an Austin radio station. He then handed a copy to Chicago's Bloodshot Records, who signed him less than two weeks later.

Known as "Dirty Old One Man Band," Biram stomps out a beat with an amplified left foot while thrashing a distorted 1959 Gibson and hollering truck-driving tales of "Blood, Sweat, and Murder" with the voice of someone who has traveled to hell and back.

"Let's just say I spend a lot of time on the road," replies Biram, who tours 10 months out of the year. As a result, the dude has earned a cultish fan base dubbed "The First Church of Ultimate Fanaticism." His latest, Graveyard Shift, perfectly balances Saturday sinning and Sunday redemption.

Is all this mere coincidence? Maybe not.