Search - English Dogs :: To the Ends of the Earth / Forward Into Battle

Gizz butt rocks!

ratscabiespunchingbag | thornlie | 03/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"English dogs were a good English punk band going downhill, after the highs of the "Mad Punx and English Dogs" EP stagnated through the "Invasion of the Porkymen" LP. Then, English Dogs changed personnel, adding a lead guitarist (who has since been part of The Prodigy), and became a full-on hardcore punk-speed-metal band with the "To the Ends of the Earth" EP. With this album (Forward into Battle) guitar solos started to be a regular part of the squeaky, Krunchy, metallic new ED sound. They really did stray far from the traditional Punk/Hardcore path, with drawn- out arrangements borrowing from Classical music, and maybe were guilty of the sort of self- indulgence that created Punk, but I still think they're Punk because the music is full-on, and doesn't easily fit into a recognised music category, and they have'nt ever been flavour of the month (as far as I know). They maybe belong in the metal scene, but they'd be the punks in the metal scene (at least at this stage)."

PUNK/METAL

JUAN MARTIN GABASTOU | Weston Hills, FL United States | 05/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent record from this british band,consisting of (arranged on the cd in chronological order) the¨To The Ends Of The Earth¨ 4 tracker 12¨ep,an epic crossover marvel,and the ¨Forward Into Battle¨ lp,a totally thrash/epic metal album.The performance is impecable,especially the lead guitar player's,Gizz Butt,of later PRODIGY fame,with Jon Mackay providing a solid rhythm guitar,unfortunately somewhat buried in the mix.The rhythm section is nothing short of a leveller,although the bass drums are a little muddled.The singing (Adie) is reminiscent of a hoarser Paul Balluf (EXODUS) although some metal purists might complain about his lack of vocal range (hey,he started in a punk band,remember ? ) The general sound,on the other hand,is very uneven in the tonal,volume and dinamics departments,requiring heavy signal processing to deliver its full power.This is a real scorcher guaranted to peel off the paint from your ceiling."