English Dogs were a British hardcore band, but they also had some great metal tendencies, especially in the middle phase. This set displays early stages of the band, but already shows how they progressed and transitioned. The two CDs combine the Mad Punx & English Dogs ep, Invasion of the Porky Men album, To the Ends of the Earth ep, and Forward into Battle album.
English dogs were certainly talented band, and really good musicians. At times, it felt they were too good just to play punk, but when they did, it was great. The early output from the band sounds very vintage, and certainly displays the sign of the times musically. At the same time, you feel the passion, and the energy captured within those songs.
British punk produced plenty of great bands, and English Dogs were definitely one of the best. It’s a shame they never got super big, but they always delivered great records, no doubt about that. There is a visible improvement that took place within the two years presented here. By Forward into Battle, things began to change, there was a metal influence creeping in. While the music was based on heavy riffs, the vocals still kept the band grounded in hardcore. The musicality was moving forward, and it completely exploded on the next album, Where Legend Began. This set while still powerful, shows how the Dogs got there.
There is definitely charm to these recordings, and it’s great to have them all in one place, considering the limited availability of some of these releases. Captain Oi does a great job bringing those incredible gems out of obscurity into your CD players. Let’s hope for a sequel release with another batch of hard-to-find eps, and albums from the English Dogs. Let’s keep them barking!
Mark Kadzielawa
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