Introducing, Hair of the Dog, a heavy hitting, hard rock trio from Edinburgh, Scotland. “This World Turns” sees Hair of the Dog crank up the intensity and maturity of their sounds, delivering an album that is truly out of this world. Hair of the Dog is a band that never sleeps. They are always writing new music, jamming new ideas and developing their sound. Made up of brothers Jonathan and Adam Holt along with childhood friend, Iain Thomson, Hair of the Dog are a tight, energetic outfit that have been jamming, writing and performing together for over fifteen years. Although inspired by iconic luminaries such as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath; Hair of the Dog pride themselves on bringing something new to the table – a sound that’s foundation is set in classic rock, yet isn’t afraid to push and embrace the modern.
One band who have slowly been making waves on what amounts to an underground scene have been Hair Of The Dog, a Scottish rock trio, who have now reached the heady heights of that difficult third album. Honing their skills through numerous sweaty gigs, probably playing just for petrol and beer as is the sad state of rock and roll these days, their third album, This World Turns, finds themselves at a rather confident peak. Road-tested and bled over, the album amounts to nothing more than a clarion call of triumph. Still looking for that great UK rock band? Look no further. Previous album, The Siren’s Song certainly hinted at the exciting possibilities ahead, but nothing quite prepares you for the full on NWOBHM attack of opening track ‘This World Turns’. A standard riff fest, fronted by the soulful vocals of Adam Holt, it soon develops into an extended rolling riff, taking in a whole ten minutes. It’s a full on revival of the early sound of British metal, taking its cue from the galloping riffs of Iron Maiden. Melodic but heavy, it hints at an aim for world domination.
‘Keeping Watch Over The Night’ is a classic rocker laid claim to by the thudding bass of Iain Thompson, and more than matched by Jonathan Holt on drums. It’s a tight rhythm section, unfussy but always ready to throw in a few neat flourishes as the yearning vocals guide you ever on. What really stands out is the expansiveness of the sound though, with a production which belies it’s underground roots for something a lot more universal. After all that feel for something long gone, ‘Ctrl-Alt-Delete’ brings a more modern edge, albeit in name only. That said, there is a certain hint of another Scottish rock band about it as its gnarly riff pervades that classic rock style. It works well as a way of adding depth to the album although it does tend to stick out a bit from the previous two tracks. That feeling is soon put to rest with ‘The Colours In Her Skin’ whose harmonic guitar chime turns into one of those excellent riffs which simply begs to be head-banged to. There’s a distinct loose feel about it too which stems from the bluesy vocals, giving an added dimension again.
Whilst the industry will no doubt dither and perhaps continue to moan the lack of decent rock bands in the UK, Hair Of The Dog have proved with This World Turns that there is still life in the old “dog” yet. There is a sense that the band have finally arrived on this album, and through its fiery riffs, soulful vocals, and belief, you can sense a band ready to make that leap into the big time. Whether that happens depends on luck these days, and if it doesn’t then the music world has missed out on something special. This music deserves to be heard by a wider audience, and Hair Of The Dog should be looking at main stage slots for all major rock festivals. This World Turns feels like it holds the key to this, let’s hope lady luck shines down. Regardless of that outcome, what we have is a minor masterpiece and one of the great heavy rock albums from a UK act for quite some time.
Review by Martyn Coppack
http://echoesanddust.com/2017/07/hair...Support Hair Of The Dog by purchasing the album here
https://hairofthedog.bandcamp.com/https://www.facebook.com/hairofthedoguk/Kozmik Shop -
https://goo.gl/Yi3Kp7Kozmik Artifactz -
http://kozmik-artifactz.com/Support the continued funding of this channel, become a Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/MeadowOfDoom
