Without the benefit of a press release or historical account of this group, it's hard for me to go into detail about 'em other than to say this new disc's a good kick in the ass! I mean, with a name like "Dogwood" who knows what to expect?

"Suffer" tears off into a speed-driven tirade and never looks back. They remind me a bit of Bad Religion, especially around the vocals. "Rest Assured" in particular, is just in the song structure alone, well, very similar. Not a bad thing in any event, but we always commonly look to draw comparisons with an unknown artist just hitting the scene.

"Feel The Burn" doesn't burn quite like I expected, rather slowing things down and adopting an almost emotional sincerity, though no less meddlesome than its quick-tempered predecessors. Right out the door walks the Bad Religion comparison with this one. On down the line there are plenty of good songs, and "Dogwood" really comes off as a solid band. Hey, maybe they will turn out to be "More Than Conquerors." They're off to a fast start here.