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ALBUM REVIEW: The Red Verse – Dog Tired

Scottish groove-mongers DOG TIRED have gone from strength to strength throughout their career, earning themselves a slot at Bloodstock Festival in 2021. They have no intention on resting on that accomplishment as they have just dropped their fifth full-length release entitled The Red Verse. Will this be able to surpass its much applauded predecessor The Electric Abyss?

Fracture is like your front door being slammed off its hinges by the police. This down-tuned juggernaut is packed full of swift, brutish riffs and ferocious vocal bellows. If the full runtime follows suit we’re going to be in for a treat. Eyes Of The Divine comes equipped with monstrous grooves and a stomping heaviness that is irresistible. There is also plenty of shredding to sink your teeth into. Severed Gods has all the energy of a rabid, bloodthirsty beast ready to tear your face from your body. Bludgeoning drum beats and all-round intensity maintain the heightened bar set by its predecessors.

The Wall possesses a powerful, jarring stride and an abundance of invigorating shifts in pacing. Stand in its way at your peril. Mars is fuelled by pure rage, leaving seismic waves of destruction in its wake and only becoming more formidable as it gathers momentum. Relic provides a brief reprieve from the onslaught, dishing out inviting acoustic sequences. Don’t get too complacent however as this track still harbours a sharp bite that neatly tees up the thrash filled fury of It Awaits. This piece is definitely a game of two halves as rapid riffing gives way to a round of pounding chugging.

Godless Carrion Pit unleashes some enticing crunchiness combined with adept technicality to great effect. The melodic tinges which crack through the aggression bring another intriguing layer to the evolving dynamic. You might want to hold onto something as this rollercoaster only gets more intense. Pillars Of Phobos is the first of two hefty tracks, opting to open with a set of peaceful, cleaner tones which cleverly provide the building blocks for the increasing liveliness which is injected down the line. The Red Verse chooses to dive straight into sludgy hooks instead. The gritty vocal work fits the doom-ridden soundscape like a glove. The extensive longevity of this double-header thankfully doesn’t pose any stumbling blocks as you are too busy being immersed in buckets of riffs to even notice the time that has flown by.

DOG TIRED are like a fine whiskey, only becoming more potent with age. The Red Verse showcases everything we have come to know and love about this talented outfit and then amplifies it to create an absolute powerhouse. The style doesn’t deviate too much throughout but the consistency and inventiveness within that scope is impressive. This is a firecracker which deserves to be heard far and wide.

Rating: 9/10

The Red Verse - Dog Tired

The Red Verse is out now via self-release.

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