The Dogs

Black Chameleon Prayer

Astma Records/ Phonophile

This isn't the French Power Pop band from the 80s or that flashy rap group from the 90s. They look like the Hives, might be the only non-black metal band from Oslo (i kid) and the singer sounds like "Richard Butler meets Nick Cave". Having banged out two previous albums (Set Yourself On Fire And Follow The Smoke - 2012 and The Tears Are Voodoo - 2014) they straddle the line between garage rock and alternative rock yet have not broken the glass ceiling under either genre. 

"Don't Let Me Down" kicks of the album with an urgent anthem that pulls equally from the the gutter rock of the Lords of Altamont and the Hives radio friendly garage rock circa Tyrannosaurus Hives. The strength of the band though is in their post punkish tinged gems. "Stay Away from Her", "Anything You Don't Regret", and "Reduced to Existence"  They mine deep catalogue of organ driven garage rock that The Horrors used to play (while they were playing to any crowd that would listen) on "I Don't Wanna". "Something That Bleeds", and "Why I Lie".

The whole record finds a nice balance even though the band can't decide what it wants to be (new wave post punk vs. primal garage tinged rock). The gospel/ preachy elements confuse especially on the track "Those Blackouts" which is equal parts "CW" show background music and Hives Black and White-era.

Regardless of what how this band see's themselves genre wise they put together a nice album and at least have piqued my interest to take look back. Hopefully this is enough or you to take a look.