Artist: King's X
Label: Atlantic Records
Release Date: 1994
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Title: Dogman Artist: King's X Label: Atlantic Records Release Date: 1994
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Reviewed by Solomon:
Actually, the album cover itself has only one pooch on it, but Dogman was released with four different colors of Man's Best Friend, for some odd reason. Even if the artwork is sort of plain and "blah," the music contained therein is anything but sour. Dogman is not as definitive or classic as the almighty Gretchen Goes To Nebraska, but this continues to be a fan favorite, and it's probably my favorite King's X disc, overall. While Doug, Ty and Jerry laid the groundwork for their untouchable style on early releases such as Out of the Silent Planet and Gretchen, Dogman took those elements that made the band so unique and gave it a solid makeover. King's X was really ahead of the game, here. Dogman contains much of the band's heaviest material, occasionally taking things down into the valley of 'B' when Korn was just starting to make the scene and 7-string guitars were pretty well confined to Steve Vai's arsenal. Getting a noticable sonic boost from producer Brendan O'Brien (Stone Temple Pilots, RATM) didn't hurt anything, either.Despite taking a down-tuned turn, Dogman is still very "King's X" in orientation. The Lennon/McCartney harmonies are present and accounted for. Doug's bass often punches through the mix, and Ty's playing is somewhat simplified, but his sludgy grooves are punctuated with unorthodox chord voicings ("Black The Sky," "Human Behavior"). Even with more "oomph," King's X still produces "positive" music, sounding hopeful even in their darker moments. The ballad "Flies and Blue Skies," with its biblical observation that "the just and the unjust all walk side-by-side," is a tear-jerker that would melt the blackest of hearts. The title track and "Black The Sky" provide plenty of crunchy groove, and the walking riff of "Don't Care" has plenty of bottom end for your boo-tay. "Shoes" is one of the best tracks on Dogman, and is a highly underrated tune in the King's X catalogue. Maybe they played this live a long time ago, but it needs to be added to their current set wherever possible. The arrangement is great: a wonderful acapella harmony in the beginning gives way to a jazzy, percussive shuffle that ends up being one of the band's finest moments. As Doug Pinnick is Jimi Hendrix's long-lost son, you know they had to do a Jimi tune sometime. The cover of "Manic Depression" is fairly conservative, and it's not my favorite part of the album. "Sunshine Rain" and the quirky "Human Behavior" are memorable, though, and "Go To Hell" is just classic for the words.
If there was any justice in the universe, the heavy but melodic strains of Dogman should have put the band at the top of the album and radio charts. The song "Dogman" got some decent airplay but, sigh, the guys have managed to avoid the success they deserve. Anyone wishing to explore the King's X universe might do themselves a service and make this the first one they pick up.
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