Backbiter is a protopunk band from Los Angeles, California that has received national recognition.
They played their first show October 23, 1991, at the Shamrock Bar in Hollywood, CA on a bill with Dicktit, the Jack Brewer Band and The Drills (whose organist, Jeff Muendel, later joined Backbiter for a few years and one album).
Singer/guitarist Jonathan Hall had been playing in Texorcist (the Los Angeles band with Linda "Texacala" Jones, formerly of Tex and the Horseheads, not the Texas band of the same name) and the Angry Samoans with and bassist Heath Seifert.
A second effort in 2001, a split-CD with Swedish band Elope on Man's Ruin Records (MR-2015) featured Muendel on Hammond B3 organ.
They received LA Weekly's Heavy Metal Band of the Year award, which was presented to them by musician Ronnie James Dio.