There was a time we would all look to the UK and the USA in order to find bands that played the music we love to hear. Plus of course your local, regional or national bands. That has changed dramatically with the globalisation of the availability and accessibility of music through several channels. In this instance we are looking at the Mediterranean area. Spain is a country that is producing more and more bands that fit into the NWOTHM category. That in itself is quite commendable, as long as the bands in question make good music. One of those is WAR DOGS from Alicante, in the South of that country. Having been active since 2018, they released their debut album “Die By My Sword” in 2020. Now, some four years later, it is time for them to unleash their second offering “Only The Stars Are Left”. And the answer to the question of good music will be answered in this review. Well, my opinion on whether I think it is good.

As for the band WAR DOGS itself, you can hear where they have gotten their influences from, and they even comment on it in the information that has come with the music; At the beginning of 2019 the band started the recording of their first full-length “Die by My Sword”. On this first album you can hear influences from US Epic Heavy Metal in the vein of MANILLA ROAD, VISIGOTH, OMEN, ETERNAL CHAMPION and classics like IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MERCYFUL FATE. I have to admit that on “Only The Stars Are Left” I do hear influences that come from the first four bands, but really fail to be able to distinguish anything that even remotely sounds like the latter three. Did they drop those influences or are they just too remote? As I haven’t heard the debut album, I can’t tell you which one it is.

The music that WAR DOGS plays is Heavy, Powerful and driven. Plus the band is not afraid to add some Epic Power Metal rhythms where possible. It certainly makes for an interesting listen. Usually such music grows in stature once you’ve started listening to an album more frequently. That, unfortunately, hasn’t happened with “Only The Stars Are Left”. What I do know is that the songs, although being quite nice, lack that bit of class to elevate them above average. So, no, the music is not good. But not bad either, just middle of the road. And that is why my rating is what it is.