Score another winning round for Sweden. The country that produced Vains of Jenna, Hardcore Superstar and Crashdiet has another success story in Dogpound. The melodic rockers are back with their latest release III. True to form, Dogppound live up to the current trend of Swedish bands that produce big music with even bigger choruses and great vocal harmonies.
While Dogpound are melodic, they still have a bite that makes them appealing to a heavier crowd. Singer Henrik Andersson has a unique voice. It’s eerily high, yet still provides enough depth to balance the big guitar lines. Dogpound are not necessarily a sleaze band, and their lyrical subjects represent this fact. Themes of desolation and hopelessness overpower III.
III opens with “My Own Sin,” an upbeat rocker that sets the tone for the entire disc. It features a lengthy musical intro before Andersson’s high, raspy voice gets going. It’s pretty clear that Dogpound are a product of Sweden with their choice of tuning and their singers range. Still, there are other influences. “Glass Jar” sounds a bit like Alice in Chains or Nirvana-lite. This is odd considering the alternative style is a 360 degree turn from melodic Metal. Still, the musicians in Dogpound want to flex their creative muscle and they are taking some risks with III.
With this third album, Dogpound takes a heavier approach to stadium rock. That said, songs like “Born a Winner” and especially “Human Hologram” keep the band firmly entrenched among the melodic mafia. “Human Hologram” is one of the strongest songs on III. It sounds like it was written to be a crossover hit, and perhaps it will bring the band some international recognition.
The disc ends with “Rain Must Fall,” a complete departure from every other tune on III. More John Tesh than Johnny Rotten, the piano ballad features a different voice for Andersson and the catchy hooks are missing. So are the guitar solos. Still, “Rain Must Fall” is pretty damn amazing, further proving that Dogpound are an exceptionally talented band.
Overall, the production on III is pretty phenomenal. All the instruments sound clean, and the bass is thumping is a great way. No one element overpowers the other. The drums are just loud enough to support the band. Overall, a phenomenal effort.
