NEVER PET A BURNING DOG

Filthy and rustic, but all so beautiful! DOUBT's debut is a nice mix between Hatfield and The North and The Keith Tippett Group(no unfriendly saxophones, though). The kind of mix you get from Matching Mole's "Little Red Record". Available on the daring MoonJune Records label. Other parts remind me of _Orange Skin Food_ from Soft Machine's Vol. II. The description on the MoonJune Records Label page describes it perfectly(better than I ever could): With moods and registers ranging from heavy-rock riffs to cosmic grooves and on to more lyrical and pastoral flavors, douBt's debut release, "Never Pet a Burning Dog", sound like nothing less than the missing link between Sun Ra, John Zorn's Masada, vintage Terje Rypdal, Sonic Youth and Ennio Morricone. The record also features guest contributions from Canterbury legend Richard Sinclair on vocals and bass.

There are a few contemplative moments such as _Passing Cloud_ which very well may be the _Sea Song_ of the album(re: Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom). There's some heavenly mellotron, fender rhodes piano, and jazzy brush strokes backing up Richard Sinclair's voice(which sounds very much like Robert Wyatt). _Cosmic Surgery_ has a keyboard intro not unlike Gentle Giant's _Free Hand_, but higher up in the mix and more aggressive. Mellotron is present once again. Reminds me of the current trio version of Van Der Graaf Generator meets Tom Verlaine's guitar(re: Television). A rustic sounding track a la Quiet Sun and a real barnburner.

The very last track _Beppe's Shelter_ is very heavy(most likely a homage to Arti E Mestieri's keyboardist - Beppe Crovella who has a great tribute album to Soft Machine's Mike Ratledge _What's Rattlin' On The Moon). This track is like a cross between Soft Machine 5 and Toni Iommi's riffing on Black Sabbath's Master Of Reality(or for a modern reference; The Melvins). What makes this very unique is the flute-like synth by Alex MaGuire which is played over top of the mayhem. Phenominal.

This is one of the best debut's I've heard in quite some time and one the better Canterbury outings in a decade. An underrated gem on par with Pip Pyle's Seven Year Itch. May also appeal to fans of Wayne Horvitz PIGPEN(especially the great _V As In Victim_ from 1994) and Joachim Kuhn's LET'S BE GENEROUS project. Rating: solid 4 stars.