The first album with Adie Bailey in over 20 years. Craig Christy - Bass Pinch - Drums Gizz Butt - Guitars (lead), Vocals Ryan Christy - Guitars (rhythm) Adie Bailey - Vocals British hardcore punk turned metal turned punk turned metal (stick with me here) legends English Dogs have been truly been a beast with two heads. The band's history has been one of the rockiest of any discipline, originally active between 1981 and 1987, first as a crossover/punk act in the vein of Discharge and The Exploited, eventually moving into the realms of speed and power metal with Where the Legend Began. The band reformed for a stretch from 1993 through 1996, which lead to one hell of a complex series of events. The members at the time, which included longtime guitarist Gizz Butt, formed a punk band called Janus Stark with lasted until Gizz Butt started a metalcore band called The More I See in 2002. While it may just seem like Gizz Butt likes to try out different genres, this is when things get a little strange. The band laid stagnant until 2007 when the band's first lineup, sans original drummer Pinch, reformed and released a few EP's and began touring, as a street punk band (a la The Casualties and Aus-Rotten and whatnot). All was well with the world until, in 2011, Gizz Butt decided that he wanted to use the English Dogs moniker again. He recruited Pinch, the only original member not involved with the other English Dogs project and former singer Adie Bailey. This incarnation did a bunch of touring too, but instead of street punk, they returned to the band's crossover / speed metal sound. This is the rocky history that brings us the band's sixth full length album, The Thing With Two Heads, courtesy of the recent Gizz Butt lineup. What an apt title for a band with that actually has two freaking heads. The Thing With Two Heads really shouldn't surprise any longtime fans of the band, as it takes a little bit from each era of the band. The music boasts a healthy mix of power metal riffing, speed metal soloing and hardcore punk aesthetics. Songs like "Royal Flying Corpse" show off the band's leaning towards an early power metal sound, with rollicking rhythms and galloping guitar riffs. The true standout on this album is Gizz Butt's impressive guitar wizardry, which flows in and out through every song. I can positively say, though, that this carnation of the band completely crushes the punk version; hands down. While Adie Bailey's gruff vocals are one of the band's strongest continued links to their early days, there are some more standout leanings towards their hardcore days, like the speedy punk riffing on "Planet of the Living Dead". "Turn Away From Light" shows off a good portion of chunky palm muting and "Hate Song" sounds like it was recorded during the height of the d-beat era. But even with the strong hardcore influence in these, the meaty riffing and speed metal soloing of Gizz Butt just completely crushes any false ideas that this is not a metal album, because it truly is. There are a few aspects that seem a little forced and unnatural, like the sea shanty sound on "Up From the Depths", with its sing along chorus, which just completely breaks up the flow of the album. While it's a solid link to the band's past, I think they could better with a stronger vocalist. I really enjoy Bailey's enthusiasm, but the hardcore styled vocals are a stark contrast to the music. The thing is, though, is that I'm sure that Bailey's vocals could be better. Just listen to the melodious chorus on "Royal Flying Corpse". Sure, it has some leanings towards the whole pirate metal thing but, damn, those vocals are so much better than the gruff shout. With The Thing With Two Heads I think that the other version of English Dogs should just quit. Hints of speed metal, power metal and hardcore punk abound into a sound that is truly their own. While this harkens back to the band's glory days, this album is by no means a rehashing. Hopefully this edition of English Dogs sticks around for a while because I am really digging the sound here. Truly summing up the band's current status, "Run, run for your lives, the thing with two heads will arise". Written for The Metal Observer.