Bastardogs

Artist: 
Album Title: 
No Pain No Gain
Release Date: 
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Review Type: 

For convenience's sake, we'll turn the clock on our time machine back to the summer of 2010, and to the geographical coordinates to the North-East Italian town of Genova.

By that time lead guitarist Andrea “Andy” K., rhythm guitarist/ lead singer Guido “Bonne” and drummer Aleks “Atta” try to get some stability to their band (which they started two years prior, influenced by '80s Sleaze Metal and by some of its famous personalities, such as Blackie Lawless and Nikki Sixx) by dropping the disastrous 4-member formula they'd previously opted for, and going for a 3-piece combination thinking, “Why not? Motörhead can do it, so why couldn' we?”. Well, it turned out to be a half-cocked idea bound for another disaster...but then along the horizon comes bassist Giacomo “Jack” Gastaldi, whom seems to be the perfect solution for the band's problems...and after only a few rehearsals with him the band jumps into the studio to record it's debut demo, sporting the three songs “Reality”, “The Pit”, and “Bad Dogs”. For undisclosed reasons however, Jack is replaced by Nicolas “Nik” Costa from September 2011 to January 2012, at which point Atta's duties are temporarily performed by Dario Monaco. Then, Cosme takes over from Nik, and Atta returns to his spot behind the drums, and since then (touch wood!) Bastardogs' line-up has been stable. Until July 2013, the band's top event was to be the direct support to Sister at France's Dead Nation Fest, but then the band again enters the studio, recording the 10 tracks which would eventually turn up on this, their debut album. Having recorded the album, the shopping around period for a label was shortened abruptly, when a deal with Street Symphonies was signed.

A great thing about Bastardogs, is that they never fell into the tribute band trap, preferring to play original songs over covers, and doubtlessly that spirit has helped in the band's finding their own sound, a sound which you are free to discover by checking the 4 songs posted in the “Band Profile” section at (www.) facebook.com/BastardogsGE?ref=ts&fref=ts. What you'll hear is a Sleaze Metal with references to the likes of Crashdiet, Wrathchild and Mötley Crüe (for my own convenience I use the same references as in the info we got along with the promo copy of the album), but with something quite of their own. An Italian Sleaze Metal band with a singer whom is nót hampered with the typical Mediterranean accent...it exists...and the name of the band is Bastardogs!

For fans of original-sounding Sleaze Metal!

92/100