Hawg Jaw - "Send Out the Dogs", 2004

This Hawg Jaw record collects together a bunch of songs previously released on various compilations, and it features 5 unreleased tracks; considering the running time is just 31 minutes, I wonder why the band back then didn't take the chance to also include the previous 7-inches and demos (they are still unreleased on CD to this day). The 2021 version, released only on streaming channels, actually integrated at least two songs from the band's split with Manchurian Candidates and one from the split with Face First, making it a slightly more exhaustive retrospective.

This said, "Send Out the Dogs" could be easily considered the second full-length by the band; half of the songs were brand new, the others were difficult to come by, and the sound quality between the various tracks doesn't show any obvious gaps, despite having been recorded in several separate sessions. In general, it doesn't feel like listening to a compilation, and that's proof of the band's songwriting consistency. 

Compared to the debut album, "BeLIEve Nothing", the songs here are fiercer, and the quality of most of the recordings is superior, while still pretty raw all around. The most noticeable difference is that the Eyehategod influence is way less obvious, with the band focusing on more frantic songs, showcasing more elaborate drumming, and featuring unexpected tempo changes; the material could be compared to some of the more angular stuff by Cavity, sounding punkish, darker, and more in line with old-school hardcore than the typical sludge metal stuff from Louisiana on songs like "Roadside Crosses", "Constant Downpour", and "From Angels to Insects (Halos and Hypocrites)". The southern grooves are still there, though, as evidenced by neck-breaking tracks such as "Lex Talonis" or "Ruint...". In general, some of the riffs aren't dissimilar to Outlaw Order, with its mixture of faster sections and sudden breakdowns; it makes sense, since Gary Mader plays guitar in both projects. 

Hawg Jaw's crudeness and aggressive approach certainly have more in common with bands like Bl'ast and Black Flag than with Saint Vitus or Black Sabbath; that sets it apart from many of its more predictable peers, and at points, Mader's penchant for dissonant lead guitar work and for brooding song structures could even bring to mind some of the more manic noise rock of the early 90s. The music doesn't come off as depressive, doomy, or apocalyptic, but more as a violent fistfight in the gutter or as a ferocious boxing match. It's nervous, tense, like a critical situation that is about to degenerate into a bloody riot. Mike Dares's vocals always sound vitriolic, and his peculiar style, blending savage screams with some darker, lower tones, complements the overall brutality very well.