Crossover genre
Dog Eat Dog album: Not beholden to the past
Dog Eat Dog are considered icons of the crossover genre. photo
© –/Flying Dolphin Entertainment UG/dpa
The fifth album from crossover pioneers Dog Eat Dog is full of surprises. 30 years after their debut, the US musicians are still conscious of tradition, but still have the courage to experiment.
“Dog Eat Dog!?… Oh, yes!”, thinks the middle-aged listener, who is musically in the mood was socialized in the 1990s. With “Free Radicals”, a new album from the band from New Jersey is released after 17 years. With their debut album “All Boro Kings” in 1994, they became a flagship of the crossover genre.
Albums by very different protagonists contributed to the crossover experiment. The Beastie Boys, Faith No More, Rage Against the Machine and Body Count – these are just a few bands that all mixed their own amalgam of metal and/or punk and hip-hop.
Basically it was about guitar music, but borrowings from hip-hop were the unique selling point. This not only gave rise to the penchant for chanting, but the scene also adopted attributes such as wide trousers, short hair and graffiti aesthetics.
The saxophone as a unique selling point
As for Dog Eat Dog, the sound of the saxophone made the band’s sound special. The saxophone intro on “Who’s the King” was the unmistakable signal to get ready for an upcoming slam dance – a dance style similar to the pogo – at concerts or in the club.
But what happens 30 years later? “Free Radicals” is the band’s fifth studio album with 14 tracks. The first track “Lit Up” impresses with a groovy bassline. The sung hook gives it pop appeal and a certain rock radio potential.
The rather edgy “Time Won’t Wait”, which impresses with its high tempo and punky vocals, provides fuel. “Blvk Clvd” provides a clear edge as a crisp New York hardcore track. “E1ton1” could pass as a melodic college punk track.
Interesting and surprising, because they are new to the repertoire, are the very quiet, thoughtful pieces like “1Thing”, “Bar Down” or “Zamboni”, which you would not expect from the crossover icons. Overall, the changes in tempo are striking: fast, harder pieces are immediately followed by slower, melodic tones.
The saxophone only has a guest appearance on “Man’s Best Friend”. The album has pop appeal, but the further you listen, the more you realize that the band isn’t mourning past glory or even just doing it for the money.
Crossover icons
The track “Looking Back” is a piece of coming to terms with the past. It says: “It was a crazy time to be there, if you were there then you know the vibe.” But it doesn’t sound like they’re heartbroken that the wheel of time has moved on.
Dog Eat Dog are free radicals – as the album title suggests – perhaps because they don’t feel completely committed to their past and dare to disappoint outdated expectations of them. Maybe that’s exactly what makes them icons in the crossover genre.