The Last Adventures of Captain Dog

Sounding like a revved up Kyuss, Blind Dog kick out the stoner jams with so much verve, it's like they're late for a Black Sabbath concert. All the fat '70s riffs stoner fans expect are present, but Blind Dog aren't at all laid-back on The Last Adventures of Captain Dog. Bassist/vocalist Tobias Nilsson, drummer Thomas Elenvik, and especially guitarist Joakim Thell drive their instruments right on top of the beat, giving their liquid rock grooves a toughness that helps separate and define the band. With a slew of credible stoner acts coming out of Sweden during the first years of the new century, the importance of creating a unique sound amidst so much sludgy riffing and drugged-out desert travelin' imagery is tantamount to survival. Perhaps Blind Dog innately understand this, but it's more likely that they just do what they do. However calculated or instinctual, it all just happens to work on this 2001 debut. Highlights include "10,000 Reasons" and the heavy section of "Sun." There's plenty of great material on The Last Adventures of Captain Dog, but some over-extended arrangements and clunky English verses hold this disc back just a bit. Stoner rock fans (especially those fond of the Kyuss-born desert rock genre niche) should at least check this disc out, as there is plenty to get excited about despite a couple soft spots.