I picked this up for many reasons (weirdly including postage…) but mostly I admit for the participation of the legendary Jim Mutilator as lyricist. Beyond that I admit I knew nothing. Not sure I really know much more now to be honest…Well they are a two piece and this is a tribute to the early nineties Southern Black Metal Cult.

I… guess it is.

As ‘dissolution Of The Neophyte’ stumbles in this is twangy, no-fi kinda black metal I guess. I mean I like a good bit of basement dwelling black metal primitivism, I get it and enjoy it and appreciate it, but parts of this sound horribly out of time and you’re left desperately not sure if some of the apparently slowly, irregularly picked bum notes are deliberate or accidental. Hmm. Ok second track ‘Nocturia Fiennes’ is much better, a lot more together and drives on in a shitty rehearsal room demo way (this is NOT a bad thing); it has a chaotic, rattling drive to it and the distant, almost spoken vocals really work. This does indeed conjure a time and a place and I think I’m getting the hang – lots of tempo changes, but no letting up on the primitive rumble and rattle. Nine minute closer ‘Synchronic Supervision (In The Tongues Of Birds) brings back the out of time thing so it sounds more like a jam on a basic theme. Maybe it was? But other than that, particularly when a serious crescendo suddenly starts on in it can have real impact.

On first listen I hated this. I thought it was rubbish. But it has grown on me and the more I do the more I think I’m getting the hang of it. Lighter than say those old Hellhammer demos, but still a good old riff driven bit of filth and blackness with a genuine bit of atmosphere. It takes primitive recreation of the ‘just fucking do’ it times to a new level and some of it I absolutely love. Some maybe takes it too far in the ramshackle approach. But that is also its charm.

Would I buy an album of this? Err.. actually possibly I would, now. Modernists will scoff, tech heads will openly laugh, but this Dead Dog does have something addictive in its Howl. If basic, chaotic, primitive proto-black metal is your thing…. kinda worth it. Weird.

I may be mad, but…

(7/10 Gizmo)

https://deaddogshowl.bandcamp.com/releases