Ferocious Dog: The Hope

I first became aware of Ferocious Dog when they opened for The Wildhearts in Glasgow a few years back and while punked up Irish folk music may not be my natural listening choice, I have to admit that on the night they were tremendous. Packed full of energy, they hit like an aural party that verged on being an assault. I’m not sure how many in the crowd were previously aware of the band but by the end of their set, Ferocious Dog pretty much had everyone in what was a packed venue, on their side.

The question for me, however, is how do you distil that unabashed romp into a sit down and listen to the CD experience? The Hope is the band’s seventh studio album (although a few of those would appear to have been acoustic re-workings of other material) and from those in the know it apparently signals a shift from party bringing with a social lyrical conscience, into something that resembles a much more ‘serious’ band. Without that journey behind me, let’s just look at The Hope in ‘isolation’ - a situation that actually drove the album, what with it coming together during lockdowns and distancing, but, this is no self-obsessed take on the band’s own tribulations. Instead they’re looking out and seeing a world that’s eating itself alive. The topics are wide and varied, with the plight of the every day person as likely to be explored as those of a soldier left scarred by their service. Add in a little war history with “Khatyn�, or a more feet on the street commentary such as “Punk Police� and Ferocious Dog are much more than the rabble rousers their crafted folk-punk could have you believe.

“1914�, for example, is a beautiful tender moment, poised and polished, whereas “Born Under Punches�, which shines a light on growing up with domestic abuse, is a much more straight ahead roll of thunder drums, building fiddles and banjo. That both are equally effective shows the care that’s gone into them, the energetic “Port Isaac�, or metalized folk of the aforementioned “Punk Police� hitting hard, but not with a simple brutal thump. Oddly, however, on my first listen to “Victims�, I did wonder if I’d stumbled in on a cover of Iron Maiden’s “Hallowed Be Thy Name� - I mean, it’s not, but if the fiddle melody isn’t intended to be a straight lift of the guitar line from those lads who know the number of the beast, then it’s as close as you could get without doing so.

So, the answer to the question, can I see myself listening to Ferocious Dog while sat in the comfort of my own home? In all honesty, I can… but not particularly often. Live, however, they are unquestionably a mandatory experience. That said, if you come from a more folk, or punk background than I do, I think you’ll find The Hope to be something of a revelation.

Track Listing
1. Port Isaac
2. Haul Away Joe
3. Pentrich Rising
4. Victims
5. Broken Soldier
6. The Hope
7. Exiled Life (The Chase)
8. Khatyn
9. 1914
10. Born Under Punches
11. Punk Police
12. Slayed Traveller
13. Parting Glass
Digital Album And Deluxe Digipack CD Bonus Tracks
14. Sea Shepherd
15. Will You (Featuring Hazel O’Connor)

Added: October 20th 2021
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Ferocious Dog online
Hits: 911
Language: english

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