Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Empire Dogs are a Swedish rock band. It has been my experience that there is something about Scandinavian rock groups that just don’t quite get it right. It’s kind of like Canadian video. There’s something off. It’s not wretched, just a bit off-putting. I know, I know…ABBA. Ace Of Spades. But those were more disco bands than rock bands. Golden Earring? From the Netherlands. Anyway, I’m belaboring the point to avoid getting to it: I just don’t care much for LOVE ATTACKS!!!

LOVE ATTACKS!!! is, as near as I can tell, the first proper long play release for Empire Dogs. It was released in Sweden in 2004 and may have even had a release of some sort in the States briefly, though I am unable to verify that. Empire Dogs, as one might glean from the title of their CD, is an exuberant band, and they indeed love rock music. And you know what? They really aren’t bad, from a craft standpoint. What sinks LOVE ATTACKS!!!, at least for me, is the songs themselves. Empire Dogs mines that metal/hard rock vein that is more exuberant than threatening --- nothing wrong with that, at all --- but the tracks themselves seem to go nowhere, with a couple of exceptions. One is “I’ll Be Doggone,” and yes, it is a cover of the Marvin Gaye classic. What is revealed is that Empire Dogs aren’t really a bad band. What they lack in technical proficiency they make up for in energy. “I Need A Little Time” isn’t bad either.

LOVE ATTACKS!!! isn’t awful. It’s just that it’s not worth getting real excited about. The most exciting thing about Empire Dogs, actually is the “!!!” that they tacked onto LOVE ATTACKS. Not enough, guys.