Review: “Black Cowslip” by Rabid Dogs

The scourge of their native Italy since their 2011 self titled debut album dropped, Rabid Dogs have returned once again with a fifth record in those eleven years via fast rising Italian label Time To Kill Records. Known for their crushing blend of frantic extremity that mixes a Molotov Cocktail of Grindcore, Sludge and Metal with Quentin Tarantino inspired Grindhouse style cinematic lyrics, “Black Cowslip” was recorded, mixed and mastered at Kick Recording Studio between September 2020 and March 2021, arriving five long years after its predecessor “Italian Mysteries“…

…a more personal album than the bands previous works, “Black Cowslip” marks something of a style shift as the band move away from some of the Grindcore influences and instead offer up a collection of Sludge fuelled Doom Metal with a bong ripping Stoner Metal edge. The horizon has broadened with Stoner Sludge melodies and Doomy black despair that at times reminiscent of 1998’s “Same Difference” by Entombed, as if Crowbar are playing Queens Of The Stone Age covers in a New Orleans Louisiana bar with catchy riffs, d-beat rides and scathing unclean vocals providing the backdrop to sink a few beers too. There are also more than a few surprises with first single “F***ing Spaced Out” and “Frisco Joe” having harmonica solos that sound like they’re the work of a long time prison veteran adding to the fuel of the fire that provides a filthy blend of Sludge ‘n Roll which is nothing short of a good time. The songs are shorter than you might usually expect from the genre, perhaps in part thanks to those Grindcore influences and the benefit of that is that there is very little fat to be trimmed from the bones of these songs, they’re all straight to the point with no drawn out hallucination inducing tripped out nonsense. The cowbell drive of “The Law Of The Strongest” is a moment that will find even the most hardened of Metal Heads crack a smile, the underused piece of the drum kit put to good use as the giant sea beast rises with the fuzz driven riffs before “Raw Deal” and “Sgt. Kempfer” step up the fury with venomous and vitriolic vocals, sounding like Max Cavalera has joined for a guest vocal appearance. The balance between the fury of the vocals and the more laid back guitar tones is perfectly weighted, the band regularly cranking up the tempo rather than the aggression which is a nice touch. Blues vibes run through “Angel Face” with its longer harmonica solo running deep before the galloping finale into incendiary guitar solo ignites the flames. As an album “Black Cowslip” sees Rabid Dogs join Neker at the top of the Italian Sludge Metal scene and there is plenty of fun to be had with this [7/10]

Track listing

1. The Crown And The Fist
2. Fucking Spaced Out
3. Frisco Joe
4. The Law Of The Strongest
5. Black Cowslip
6. Raw Deal
7. Sgt. Kempfer
8. The Theban
9. Charlie Lucky
10. Angel Face

“Black Cowslip” by Rabid Dogs is out via Time To Kill Records on 28th January 2022 with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.