THE COAL DOG YEARS

Dotzauer are an impressive post-metal band from Treviso, formed in 2011 and perhaps defunct as there hasn't been any activity I can see in many years. Their full-length debut Deep, a concept album about drowning, appeared in 2013. The Coal Dog Years was their follow-up in 2015, and to date it remains their last offering. I'm not sure what a coal dog is, but the EP delivers four full-throttle scorchers with energetic songwriting and intriguing lyrics. Our bio says they "combine aspects of atmospheric sludge metal with post metal stylistics akin to acts such as ISIS and CULT OF LUNA." (quote from Prog Sothoth) I would add Dotzauer's sound stems from contrasting doses of a hypnotic heaviness cloaked in foggy, brooding landscapes. They manage to maintain full energy while having that cloaked, misty vibe.

Three members of the band sing, and they alternate mournful "indie rock sounding" sections with their extreme vocal parts. The dual guitar assault is very effective, sometimes going full chainsaw or heavy riffage in tandem while other times splitting apart with one loud guitar and one more introspective, cleaner one. The bass and drums are just perfect in the mix. I'm oft critical of drum sound choices of many bands in recent years, but they are phenomenally well recorded on this album, punchy, bold as hell, but never overpowering ala "loudness war" stuff. The title track is a 10-minute, prog metal mini-epic that really displays the talent and potential this band had/has? The dual lead guitar and bass are truly impressive, scouring the landscape for interesting progressions. I'm still a relative noob in the halls of post-metal Valhalla, but I like this EP a lot, and it is a bummer that it might be their swan song.