by John D. Bess
Daily Lobo
In the beginning there was the Holy Trinity of stoner rock: Kyuss, Fu Manchu and Monster Magnet.
These bands paved the way for heavy-lidded groove and doom bands from around the world. Oddly, from the outset Sweden has maintained a high per capita ratio of great bands in the genre.
Of the impressive bands in MeteorCity's Viking Rock Trifecta, Blind Dog has outshined fellow Swedish rockers The Mushroom River Band and Lowrider. This in itself was no easy feat, but Blind Dog always seemed to go the extra mile in terms of sonic breadth and interesting song structures.
The debut Blind Dog release, The Last Adventures of Captain Dog, is one of the earliest and best on the MeteorCity label, regarded by many as an instant classic and a bar to which following bands must aspire.
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After a four-year wait, the trio returns with Captain Dog Rides Again, a disc chock full of the staples that made their debut album so incredible: burly guitars pushed up front in the mix, vocals that range from a soulful tenor to rasping angst, fuzzed out single note grooves and an impeccable rhythm section.
The real treat is the obvious work they've done on their songwriting.
The album opens with "Don't Ask Me Where I Stand," a typical fast-grooving Blind Dog number. The song pummels along as expected, but then shifts into a breakdown reminiscent of "Fly By Night"-era Rush before returning to the main groove.
Every song on this disc is that way - distinctly Blind Dog, but interspersed with elements of other great bands, as if these guys aren't afraid to own up to their influences and make them their own.
"Let It Go" sounds as if it was plucked from the latest Queens of the Stone Age album with lilting minor harmonies and palm-muted riffs. The intro to "Would I Make You Believe" has a Screaming Trees vibe before launching into a huge, staggering verse riff. "Fading Memories" has a killer, good-time, early KISS riff - the kind the Donnas keep ruining with their saccharine sensibilities.
Just imagine a heavier version of all the aforementioned bands and you'll get the gist of the classic elements slathered throughout this beefy disc.
One notable departure for the band on this new disc is some very progressive elements, both in terms of song structure and individual playing. Brutally heavy riffs break off into delicate, psychedelic sections. Solo sections bring to mind early Iron Maiden, Rush and Yes. The vocal melodies strive to supplant rock clichÇs with odd yet pleasing note choices and the drums roll along with intricate cymbal and snare patterns.
This album has it all - gigantic riffs, thoughtful songwriting, guitars by the metric ton, waltzes, shuffles, an homage to Hendrix and enough twists and turns to keep any listener engaged and surprised. Well done gentlemen, this disc is well worth the wait.
