A far more interesting singer than Corey Glover or James Hetfield, Pinnock proves you can still carry a tune when screaming like Robert Plant. When the three voices soar sweetly above the sonic assault on songs as catchy as "Fool You," "Don't Care" or "Complain," the effect is hard to resist. They close out the album with a manic live version of Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression." --Geoffrey Himes

This album is an incredibly strong offering of blues infused metal and hard rock mixed with some beautiful slow tunes. To miss out on this record is a sore mistake, and anyone with an appreciation for great rock n' roll with a heavy edge had best run to their nearest CD store and scarf this one up. Thanks for reading. (Like this review? Don't forget those nice helpful buttons below it...you want to hit yes don't you...yes...yes...)

Dan :-D


It should've won Album of the year   June 29, 2004
Daniel Hayes (Clermont, FL. USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I remember delivering pizzas the day that this album came out, and the title cut was borderline violent. I'm like "This is King's X?" A month later I bought the tape, and of course I could never get enough of the title cut, but other songs came along too like "Shoes", "Pretend", "Sunshine Rain", and the other monster of a song "Human Behavior". This one blew Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden off the stage. It did good enough to bubble under the top 40 for awhile, but like Christian artists they don't mix too well on the regular charts. A real shame. This should've been album of the year.


Grunge style, "King's X-ified".   April 8, 2002
M. Berger (Orlando, FL USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Reflecting the moody grunge of the day (1994) while still maintaining the band's stylistic dignity, King's X put together this underrated gem that ranks among their best. (Okay so all of their CDs are underrated gems!) Rich, deliberate, at times primal, and distinctly dark, this release expands on the band's prior musical endeavors but still fuses King's X's unmistakeable style of funk-ish rock and awkwardly cool chord progressions. That said, this is as close to mainstream as I've ever heard King's X get.

This CD would be a fantastic listen for someone who likes Soundgarden/Alice In Chains, Rush/Yes, AND Dave Weckl/The Brecker Brothers. Just be forewarned that the predominant element is the edgy grunge, and it may be too much "hard rock" for some. To paint a clearer picture, if you have a baby in the womb and you want a peaceful childhood, DO NOT listen to this CD repeatedly! Compared to their other releases, there is some clear anger and aggression being played out in this release...but don't worry, King's X is not a hate-yell metal band.

Overall this is a wonderful CD for those in the right (or wrong) mood to listen to it. There are some weaker tracks, although all have some redeeming value in my opinion. However the songs titled Dogman, Shoes, Pretend, Black the Sky, and Pillow are all undeniably rockers. King's X is one of my favorite bands, partly because they aren't mainstream and don't sell out to every new style that comes out. In "Dogman," they DO incorporate some additional grunge style into their music but DON'T incorporate their music into grunge. Admirable for sure!

FOR KING'S X VIRGINS: If you might enjoy hearing this band's markedly unique style of rock from its roots, I would recommend starting from the very beginning, borrowing "Out of the Silent Planet" from a friend first. Then buy Gretchen Goes to Nebraska and really indulge yourself in that listen. "Gretchen" is frequently recognized as one of the best CDs in rock music history, although most mainstream rock fans aren't familiar with it. So you need to hear "Gretchen" before you can start to pass judgment on this band. Next, Faith Hope Love is also fantastic, and their self-titled CD released in 1992 is severely underrated in my opinion. (Track 5, "Chariot Song," for example, is one of the average tunes on the CD but contains an allusion to all the band's prior CDs, which I find hilarious and makes the whole song worth it!) Only after listening to the others a few times do I recommend spinning the "Dogman" CD, so that you can understand the full impact of the band's style change on this CD.

BOTTOM LINE: For those who appreciate unique bands in the rock and jazz/funk genres, King's X's "Dogman" is worth considering for your collection. For current King's X fans, you'll love the metamorphasis from the "King's X" you know as they change into a "Dogman" on this CD!


Absolutly Crushing!   June 2, 2006
Roy Phillips (Fort Myers, Florida United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This my friends is my favorite kinkg's x cd. This is as crushing as Panteras Vulger display of power, Slayers Reign In Blood, Metellicas Master Of Puppets.

By crushing I mean the overall heaviness of the entire cd. When I first put this on I could not believe how brutal yet melodic it was! Every song fits like a glove. There's no way anyone should give this anything less then 5 stars. Crank it up and tell me Dogman doesn't sound like a giant slamming his feet to the ground crushing everything around him!


Four and a half stars   December 16, 2003
John Alapick (Wilkes-Barre, PA United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Dogman is a very strong album from King's X and their best album next to Gretchen Goes To Nebraska. This album was released when grunge rock was at its peak and Brendan O'Brien's production mirrors that time. Doug Pinnick sings all the lead vocals, which is appropriate considering the heavier tracks here. While their excellent harmonies are still intact, the tracks are more based on the groove and the riffs than on their other albums.

All of the tracks are very good, with the first half being particularly strong. The heavier tracks are excellent with the best being "Black The Sky", "Shoes", "Pretend", and the title track. The tracks "Don't Care", "Human Behavior", and "Pillow" are even heavier with their slow Black Sabbath-like riffs. The harmonies are still great, particularly on the slow ballad "Flies And Blue Skies" and the excellent "Fool You." Also present are the punk of "Go To Hell" and a killer version of Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression." The only thing stopping this from being a classic like Gretchen Goes To Nebraska is that a few of the tracks start to sound the same after repeated listens. Fans of the music from this era should definitely check this out.