Can the Trench Dogs save the world of Trash?

 Over the past few years I have not spent as much time in the company of Glam, and its like, as would have been normal for me in the past. From time to time I have wondered why this might be the case. In the past year I have spent more time listening to Progressive Rock. The two styles share a few things in common. They are both misunderstood by the masses and they both enjoy excess in one form or another. For Prog it is the excess of musical style. Grandiose arrangements and concept albums that deal in high concept ideas. For Glam it is excess of, well, just about everything else. 

But my distancing myself from Glam has confused me a bit. I was not sure why I have stepped away. I suspected why, I was just having a hard time admitting the reason. 

Let's take a step back in time. Step back to the wonderful year of 1984. A year when I first found Glam in the guise of Hanoi Rocks, T-Rex, the New York Dolls, and other such lovely bands. It was the year I grabbed Slade. It was a sound and a style I never heard on my radio. 

My love of this style soon came with frustration, as in the U.S. the style of music quickly fell into the realm of the Hairband. Some bands carried a look that fit, but the music sounded more like commercial rock. It was lacking an edge. The audience didn't sway and groove to the music, they headbanged (which was something that was beyond ridiculous to me). There were bands playing the style I enjoyed, but these bands were located outside of the U.S.

Flash forward to the present day. Over the past few years I have noticed a similar thing with Glam. But this time it is a worldwide issue. The world of Glam is now dominated by Sleaze (*snicker*, get it!?!). The color has been removed and replaced by black. We do have some bands still giving us proper Trash, such as Hard Luck Street. But for the most part Sleaze has become where it is all at. 

So when I recently saw a picture of the Stockholm based four piece known as Trench Dogs I naturally got a little excited. However, I held my excitement at bay. I had been here before. I have stood at the gates of excitement for a cool looking band, only to be crushed by a terrible sound, one too many times. 

I first checked out their video for "Self Sabotage," a song from their Fashionably Late EP (2015). Now, while the film footage that went along with the band footage left me a little bewildered (a gas mask adorned person in his skivvies rolling around in the woods), the footage of the band made me smile. We had a style of dress straight from Dog's D'Amour, and we had a variety of hair colors. Blonde, black, RED!!! To make matters even better, I very much enjoyed the song. It sounded not too distant from what one would expect Hanoi to have rolled out from the Bangkok Shocks. Raw as heck, but obviously performed by a group of skilled musicians. 

I knew I had to check out more. So I quickly went to their "Burn Church Street" video, from the most recent 2 song release Wine Stained Eyes (2016). Yes, I was using the videos instead of just going straight to search on Apple Music, as in this day and age if I can see a band in action I want to do that while checking them out for the first time. 

It seems that they are using shocking images to help them along. As this video is another confusing number with the band enjoying a meal of some rather nasty looking items. I was also a little saddened by the amount of black hair. Oh well. 

What put a smile on my face was the song. The band seems to have wandered even further into the Hanoi/Faster Pussycat sound of Glam. No chunky guitars, no music to bang your head to, just brilliant and hooky Rock and Roll! Wonderful guitar playing with a swagger and style that would put a smile on the face of Ron Wood, Keith Richards, or anybody else who wishes to appease the Gods of Rock and Roll. No over the top acrobatics, no out of place flash. It is all well placed groove and feeling. 

The song sways from verse to pre-chorus to the ridiculously catchy little bit that will get stuck in your noodle for days that these guys call a chorus. Each section moves fluidly into the next. Each section catchy, but building to the next to make each moment better than the prior. 

Now, imagine my surprise when I found that I still had not found their best song. That would be the brilliant "Devil and the Deep" from the same 2 song release, Wine Stained Eyes. Similar in feel to "Burn Church Street," and hopefully signaling that the band has found their true path and their own style. "Devil," however, is even more fluid in the movements and carries more hook. It is a brilliant tune with one groove after another and with brilliantly done backing vocals. 

Trench Dogs have one EP, Fashionably Late and two singles. Giving us a total of 8 songs to groove to. Each song is of the Trash and Glam style. No Metal to be found, just straight up trashy Rock and Roll. For fans of that style who have felt a little neglected over the past few years, I encourage you to check them out, if you have not.
Another thing to love about them is that during their live acoustic videos one can see guitarist Mattias playing a Hagstrom acoustic! Anybody who plays a Hagstrom is way cool with me. Considering they are a Swedish company seems a no brainer, but still, Hagstrom are the best. 

A little something else. I have been streaming all of their stuff through Apple Music. I really, really, really want the physical copies, but I am not able to find an address or anything on how to purchase their material.
Now gents, when can we expect a full-length release?