Wild Dogs - Reign of Terror (Full Length) (320)

Line Up :

Vocals : Michael Furlong
Guitars : Jeff Mark
Bass : Rick Bartel
Drums : Deen Castronovo

Review :

That's pretty much what Wild Dogs third full length album here tends to sound like more than anything else. Its got that same dark energy and speedy atmosphere Marty Friedman's "Dragon's Kiss" had, topped off with a decent vocalist who has his moments and seems to step a bit beyond Cacophony's Peter Marrino. Being a band who had their previous two albums released under the Shrapnel Records roof, and this one under Enigma, you can expect a ton of technically adept skill to be found here when it comes to the instrumentas, especially the guitars. Hands down this is more speed / shred metal than anything else.

The monstrous and incredible riffs are all over the place, very unique and just downright catchy and memorable. The leads and solos are completely off the wall as well. The drums, as with most of the Shrapnel / Enigma and stuff of this kind is extremely powerful as well, and very fast. Expect some great patterns of double bass drumming to drive the music to a whole new level. The bass is there as well, but hardly stands out compared to the rest of the instruments. The vocals by Michael Furlong aren't mindblowing or anything, but they're a step beyond Cacophony's vocals and are pretty downright catchy at times with the choruses. He's got a decent range with some great shrieking to be heard here, and definitely gives 110% at all times and packs an agressive kick. Definitely fits with the music perfectly.

The thing I really like about this album, is that they really sound like a full BAND here. There's no argueing the guitars and more of the main focus, but at the same time these guys are hardly something you'd call "wanking", or just pointless. The songs are all very well done, and the majority of this entire album is extremely enjoyable and there's never any points where I felt the solo's or leads were out of place or unnecessary. This is just a very well done speedy album with a handful of moments where these members show off their incredible virtuosity.

A quick track by track run done. "Metal Fuel" starts off actually pretty sloppy, the tuning with the guitars just sounds weird and silly. 30 seconds later you're at the start of a ride for your life. This song has some of the best harmonies and leads to be heard on this entire album. Michael Furlong screams his lungs out during the solo's section as well. "Man Against the Machine" doesn't slow down the ride a bit. Starts off much better than the previous track, and shifts into a darker mood at about 30 seconds in. Hands down one of the catchiest tracks on here, with one of the best solo's. "Call of the Dark", nope its still not slowing down a bit. Another downright catchy song where the vocals seem to drive it a bit more than others, tipped off with a great chorus. "Siberian Vacation" is hands down one of my favorite tracks on here. Its not as fast as the previous tracks, but still extremely aggressive and Michael Furlong's vocals are at his finest here. This track also has probably the best chorus as well, sounds almost like something Running Wild would have put out! This song is much more diverse than most on here as well. At the two minute mark it starts building up all over, preparing you for the incredible solo later on. "Psychoradio" is another great track, and feels a bit more like power metal at times. As great as it is, it didn't stand out as much as the others. "Streets of Berlin" is much slower and more of an emotional ride. The instruments alone drive this one. "Spellshock" goes back to the formula the first three songs followed, and possibly even surpasses them. Easily one of the fastest tracks on here, if not thee fastest. Even sounds a bit thrashy at times. "Reign of Terror" is another one of the best tracks on here (how many times have I said that?), and tends to be their most epic song as well. Totally sounds like something Tyrant or Liege Lord would have put out, and that's a good thing! "We Rule the Night" ends things off well, but could have been much better.

Simply put, this entire album is extremely solid from the beginning and to the end, with hardly any low points. If you worship Marty Friedman's early solo albums, it can't be stressed enough that this is an album that should be at the top of your priority list. Same can be said if you really enjoyed Cacophony, and in the end Wild Dogs tends to sound more like a real band than the formers. If you loved Racer X but also hated them for their slew of hard rock influences and horribly cheesy lyrics, Wild Dogs is the superior solution. Heck, if you just simply love early speed and thrash, yeah, this is essential. I think I'll stop there. This album is just hands down intense and awesome, and there's just not a lot of stuff out there quite like it. Highly recommended!

1.	Metal Fuel (In the Blood)	04:54
2.	Man Against Machine	03:47
3.	Call of the Dark	04:15
4.	Siberian Vacation	04:37
5.	Psychoradio	04:17
6.	Streets of Berlin	05:10
7.	Spellshock	03:44
8.	Reign of Terror	05:49
9.	We Rule the Night	05:22
Total playing time		41:55

Download Link

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