Four years after their first demo’s were recorded, Swedish band Dogpound finally have the opportunity to record their debut album. The music is best described as melodic with deep drumming and cool rhythms. This cd, with the rather strange title The Hellbum, immediately sounds familiar. There is no doubt that this release is possibly the least original release I’ve heard in a long time, but it sure sounds nice. Take for example a fine track like “Bleed”. You’ll be able to sing or play along at first listening.

Most of the more experimental songs (experiments are not the band’s main effort) are carried by profound and catchy choruses. Vocals are remarkably strong, although some of you might find the vocal melodies a bit too sweet at times. The Hellbum features a selection of nice tracks, nevertheless halfway through the album most structures sound a little bit too familiar. Despite the fact that I think this is an above average cd, I can imagine that some of you might find it a bit boring.