ENGLISH DOGS Putting Finishing Touches On First Album In More Than Two Decades

Recently reunited U.K. punk-metal stalwarts ENGLISH DOGS are putting the finishing touches on their first album in more than two decades, what drummer/founding member Andy Pinching calls "an angry bastard of a record."

Entitled "The Thing With Two Heads", the album is the first to feature key members Pinching, frontman Adie Bailey and guitarist Gizz Butt since 1986's "Where Legend Began".

"The Thing With Two Heads", for which the band is seeking a label home/distribution, is the direct result of the overwhelmingly positive response to ENGLISH DOGS' 2012 U.S. reunion tour, on which the band was rounded out by brothers Craig and Ryan Christy (on bass and rhythm guitar, respectively).

Formed in 1981 in Grantham, England, ENGLISH DOGS were at the forefront of the first wave of hardcore English punk, alongside Clay Records labelmates GBH and DISCHARGE. When original frontman Wakey departed, he was replaced by Bailey (of ULTRA VIOLENT) and second guitarist Gizz Butt (of the DESTRUCTORS) joined. The new lineup began blending punk with thrash and released the well-charting albums "To The Ends of the Earth" and "Forward Into Battle".

On their third effort, "Where Legend Began", the band morphed into a full-blown thrash outfit, and toured the U.S. coast to coast. Soon after, this lineup of the band dissolved, eventually sending Gizz Butt to join THE PRODIGY and drummer Pinching to punk legends THE DAMNED, with whom he has played for the past 15 years.

"We got back together because we felt like we had unfinished business — we only gave this lineup of the band a very limited life span," says Pinching. "So we got back together in 2012 and tons of people ended up turning up to the gigs. We started to think maybe we are worth a fuck after all. We started writing and recording and it clicked again immediately."

Of the new album, Pinching proudly says, "It's the missing link between 'To The Ends Of The Earth' and 'Forward Into Battle'. It's classic ENGLISH DOGS punk-metal. It doesn't sound like anyone else, because it wasn't inspired by anyone else."

In recent years, original singer Wakey has been somewhat active using the ENGLISH DOGS name with a street-punk version of the band. The two lineups share little in common musically, and do not associate with one another.

A YouTube teaser of the "The Thing With Two Heads" featuring an interview with the band can be seen below.