American Dog – This Ain’t The Summer Of Love

AMERICAN DOG
THIS AIN’T THE SUMMER OF LOVE
Released 2009 (Bad Reputation)

Track List:
01. This Ain’t The Summer Of Love
02. Mean
03. God Of Thunder
04. New Evil
05. Movin’ On
06. Bomber

Band:
Michael Hannon – vocals and bass
Steve Theado – guitars and vocals
Keith Pickens – drums

Production:
Mastered by Jean-Yves Legrand.

Review:
Hard rock’s hardest working cantankerous threesome is back with a little teaser. I call This Ain’t The Summer Of Love a teaser because it offers a small glimpse into what will appear on their upcoming album with the inclusion of the title track “Mean”. Thrown in for good measure are a few cover songs and a couple harder to find numbers.

  What we have on this six song EP are covers of Kiss, Motorhead and Blue Oyster Cult songs. American Dog pulls off Kiss‘ “God Of Thunder” surprisingly well as you can just picture vocalist/bassist Michael Hannon substituting Gene Simmons‘ crimson blood with the foam from cheap American beer. But it is the band’s rendition of BOC‘s “This Ain’t The Summer Of Love” that is the highlight here. This song was tailor made to be given a heavy and sneering backbone, and the American Dog boys have done just that in making this the best track on the EP.

  “A New Evil” was a bonus track on the Red, White, Black & Blue CD and is included here in re-mixed fashion. This dark track showcases some of Steve Theado‘s best riffing as it descends into a 7 plus minute of guitar fury. “Movin’ On”, previously released on a Harley-Davidson compilation, has likely been around for awhile because it has the feel on the band’s early work.

  Last but not least is the brand new song “Mean”, which lives up to its name with a slow and heavy bottom end behind Hannon‘s vicious vocals. The lyrics can apply to anyone that has been shit upon during the current recession, and manages to musically convey a feeling of being stretched to the limit. That’s American Dog for ya, always sticking up for the underdog by being a ‘hard workin’ band for the hard workin’ man’! That sounds like it could be a beer advertisement…I’m sure the members of American Dog would approve.

  www.americandog.us – www.myspace.com/americandog – www.badreputation.fr

Reviewed by Skid for Sleaze Roxx, October 2009.

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