Label - Rude Records
Release Date- 6 May 2022
Words - Tony Bliss
When a band has the nerve to open their sophomore album with ‘Shining Star’ - essentially a minute and a bit showcasing the heaviest riff Crowbar forgot to write - we can be forgiven for expecting big things from the off. As it is, ‘Pure Evil’ never quite touches such realms of balls-out riff worship again, however Puppy have always made a strong case for being both a wistful alt.rock power trio and thunderous heavy metal band, and whilst 2019 debut ‘The Goat’ was the sort of focused and fiery beast tailor made to attract ears and eyes from beyond underground circles, this second album arrives as the band make in-roads on a sound that remains unmistakably their own, but retooled and enhanced from every possible angle. And it’s fooking glorious.
Indeed, with its startling catchy splendour and songwriting suss, it’s difficult to see how Puppy could have achieved a better reaffirmation of values and flexing of musical muscle. With their knack for a huge chorus hook in full effect, we know already that horns-aloft rager ‘Wasted Little Heart’, the 90’s Metallica-isms of ‘Sacrifice’ and the succinct Ghost-esque stomp of ‘Spellbound’ are the sort of uniquely left of centre anthems that the band can deliver by the truck-full, but somehow nigh on every track here still manages to take us completely by surprise. Take the more measured likes of ‘Glacial’ for example, which manages to pull together bittersweet dream pop and Weezer at their most hard rockin’, and ‘...And I Watched It Glow’, which crams incisive indie melodies into a Deftones hailing riff-splurge.
As with everything we have heard from the trio thus far, each genre splicing concoction is a balance they pull off brilliantly, and although their influences may be undeniable, crucially, there isn't a millisecond here that feels pastiche or contrived, or anything less than 100% Puppy. Special mention must go to guitarist/frontman Jock Norton, whose six-string superpowers are writ large across these thirteen songs as he moves from plaintive strumming, 80’s shred exuberance and surging, classic heavy metal with baffling ease. Hell, ‘Pure Evil’ is an absolute must listen for anyone even resolutely interested in guitar music, and not only renews Puppy’s status as the UK’s own new darlings of modern, history-saluting-yet-forward-looking rock music, but with any justice should see them erupt on to the world stage. Listen to this album.
9/10
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