Dogpound - 'The Hellbum'
                                                                                                        Released on Lion Music in 2003

THE BAND:
Hea - vocals
Micke - guitars
Figge - bass
Tuka -drums & cowbell


TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) "End of Our Days"-This track opens with several guitar effects along with a melodic lead guitar scale.  The musical arrangement of the intro has a very late eighties metal feel to it.  Through the verse there are accented harmony overdubs laced within the vocal lines.  The rhythm guitar sections are very simple with a solid groove. The drummer changes the dynamics of the song several times by incorporating different bass drum patterns.  After the chorus there is a small melodic guitar solo.  The backing harmonies of the choruses are huge!!!  The track could have used a huge bass line solo rhythm at the bridge section of the song.  There is a couple real cool bass licks but because the music is so strong the bass line gets drowned out.   
2.) "Bleed"-This track opens with a acoustic guitar section and a hi-hat count off.  For the pre-verse the band chose an electric guitar for the guitar parts.  This really accents the acoustic guitar for the verse.  The background arrangement even though laid back, it has a very intense feel to it. The musical arrangement is very over powering compared to the vocal lines.  The swapping of electric and acoustic guitar arrangements expresses the bands arranging talent.  The solo seems to build with intensity but never really peeks.
3.) "When the World comes down"-This track opens with a hi-hat count off.  The guitar arrangement of the small intro has a very intense feel to it.  The rhythm guitar arrangements of the verse have a very in your face feel to them.  The chorus kicks in with a more melodic feel than the verse.  The writing arrangements of this song are classic; verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo.  The choruses would have packed a better punch if the background vocals had been turned up.  Some of the notes on the solo sound like they are overdubbed so you get a twin guitar effect. 
4.) "Going down in Flames"-This track kicks off with a fairly standard metal intro.  Vocally Hea's vocal lines have a feel of another metal vocalist, but I cannot think of who at this time.  The vocal lines are very melodic laced with a metal feel.  The musical arrangements are fairly simple.  Just straight to the point.  The song could have used a minor guitar solo after the first chorus.  The bridge has a real simple musical change that does not accent the solo very well.  The high point of the song was the vocal harmony at the end.
5.) "Way up high"-This ballad opens with a fairly standard electric guitar picking pattern.  The vocal line have a modern rock feel to them.  The song picks up and has a huge hook for the verse.  The vocal harmonies on this track completely blew me away.  As far as the song writing on this track goes you really can't get any more simple than this.  The solo like the rest of the song is very laid back.
6.) "Loser on a King's Throne"-This track opens with a effects pedal on the guitar.  The guitar arrangement of the verse is very simple in it's structure.  The vocal lines are of the melodic rock vein.  The band change the dynamics of the song by changing the rhythm of the chorus.  The backing harmonies of the chorus blew me away.  There is a huge bass line through the solo.  The solo was very short.  During the last chorus there is a small lead scale laced in the musical arrangement.
7.) "Ready to believe"-This track is another song that opens in a fairly standard metal arrangement.  On thing I noticed was the huge sounding bass line the song has.  The pre-verse really brings the drum to the for-front.  At times through the pre-verse you can hear a small acoustic guitar arrangement.  The hooks of the song are laced within the backing harmonies.  At times you can tell the singer really wants to let go, but it almost sounds like he is holding back.  The solo is very melodic and runs under the vocal lines.
8.) "You Remain"-This track opens with a very cool twin acoustic guitar arrangement.  The acoustic guitar really accents Hea's vocals.  The chorus has a huge vocal harmony background vocal.  The band kicks the music arrangement in for the chorus.  But the only real main highlight is the acoustic guitar arrangement.  At times the solo has a very Scorpions feel.
9.) "...For my sins"-This track opens with an almost autograph sounding intro.  The musical arrangements are very up-tempo on this song.  Once again the backing harmonies are huge.  All-in-all this is by far the best written song on the release!!!
10.) "Silent scream"-This track opens in with a modern rock feel.  For the pre-verse the drummer uses a woodblock in replace of the snare.  The guitar arrangement of the pre-verse was done with an acoustic guitar.  The bass line is structured in a very simple fashion.  The guitar arrangements of the chorus are on the verge of being intense.  I was kind of shocked by the acoustic guitar solo.  Sven though it is very short it packs a powerful punch.
11.) "Welcome to the Mystery"- This track opens with a twin guitar arrangement and rim shot drum pattern.  The guitar arrangement for the verse have a huge hook laced within them.  The chorus has a eighties metal hook in the lyric arrangement.  The breakdown section and solo has a pure metal feel.  At the end of the song there are a few blues lead guitar scales laced within the rhythm.

    Lyrically the songs on "The Hellbum" have a very religious feel to them. Out of the eleven songs on the release, tracks 9 and 11 really express the bands talent. 
    Because of the multiple CD's out there that are well worth buying.  Is this CD worth $17.00? My answer to that would be probably not.  But the CD is what it is and as a freshman release from the band it is not bad.