Released by: MVD Audio
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Classic Rock
Links: http://www.fasteddieclarke.com/
Line Up:
“Fast” Eddie Clarke – guitar
Toby Jepson – vocals
John McManus – bass
Steve Strange – drums
Tracklist:
01. Deliver Me
02. Fade Out
03. Leave The Light On
04. Loving Fool
05. Dead And Gone
06. Sick As A Dog
07. Freedom Song
08. Do You Believe
09. Love I Need
10. On And On
11. Only If You Want It
With a name like “Fast” Eddie Clarke you think of top notch shred master of the axe right? Alright well in this case it doesn’t matter because regardless of Eddie Clarke’s style of guitar playing which is great nonetheless, there was never a flashy style per say and that’s fine with me and Eddie’s band Fastway. From I have gathered through the years, the crowds then we’re split between his stint in Motorhead which many consider the classic line up with Lemmy, Clarke and Taylor, to his new group formed by himself and former UFO bass player Pete Way. The band’s debut in 1983 was heralded as their strongest effort and provided a solid dose of Hard Rock and Blues Rock, regardless of Clarke’s tone down guitar playing style.
This time around Fast Eddie comes back alongside vocalist / bassist Toby Jepson (ex Little Angels, Dio Disciples) who joines the band in 2007, and drummer Matt Eldridge. I was a little perplexed as the quality of the songs here, sure Clarke guitar playing hasn’t changed a bunch, here he delivers a more mellower back track of riffs and alongside the solid vocals of Jepson they produce a rather fair record.
The quality of the songs are quite evident taken to a noticeable level with Jepson’s strong vocal range. Some perfect examples of these characteristics are the simplistic guitar riff in “Dead and Gone” being elevated by Jepson with his killer vocals. The more driven rhythm of “Sick as a Dog” is nice and rocks out more, but the song is much too short for my liking. Another cool tune comes via the rocker heavy dose of “On And On”.
The overall music on Dog Eat Dog leans more towards classic rock riffs then Hard Rock, for those expecting Clarke to shred back his old school ways of Motorhead, you probably shouldn’t put this album on a pedestal. This is what Fastway has been all about since the beginning, that raw, thick, unpolished guitar sound is what Fast Eddie has been all about. You can expect some of that and more on this record. For me the grunge high rising vocals of Jepson carry the album and compliments Clarke’s style of playing with good balance. In the end though the songs drag on a bit and the album lacks that ommph kick that I look for in records. Is a nice effort but it lacks a something extra to kick it into high gear.
Written by Denys
Ratings Denys 6/10
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