Some years ago, I saw a Metal fan saying that anything that has 'groove' on the name isn't good. It's clear that people into Metal scene doesn't understand that groove is into the genre since its birth, it's on Rock 'n' Roll since Sister Rosetta Tharpe started to fuse musical genres on the 30s (what ended on Rock 'n' Roll birth). It's a matter of information, indeed, and it's not because one doesn't like a thing that everyone must hate it. Obviously that the work of the Scottish quartet DOG TIRED heard on "The Red Verse" isn't for those who want to live in the past, but for all of those who doesn't care about laws, sayings and rules. The band plays a modern and aggressive form of Groove Metal with stylistics resemblances with acts as ENTOMBED A.D., HIGH ON FIRE, THE HAUNTED and others on such way, or in other words: it's aggressive, brutal and harsh, but always with excellent hooks that are impossible to resist (listen to a sample of it on the Hardcore tempos and energy of "Of Severed Gods").

Yes, it's actual, full of an abrasive energetic appeal, but always with excellent instrumental arrangements that boost the quality of the work high above the norm. "The Red Verse" had its recordings done at Nameless City Sound studio again with Jamie Gilchrist (guitarist of KING WITCH and the same that recorded, mixed and mastered the quartet previous album, 2019's "The Electric Abyss"). The result is a brutal and oppressive sonority that bears an organic feeling and bears a very ample set of textures. Let's try to resume things: it's brutal and greasy, but in a form that everyone can understand what's being played.

All the ten songs of "The Red Verse" deliver a massive onslaught of aggressiveness and groove, so be prepared. But for a first visit on the album (or on the band's music), the due presentations can be done by "Fracture" (a brutal flux of energy and a fine opening song, with some excellent tempo changes based on strong playing of bass guitar and drums, with many chaotic moments), "Eyes of the Divine" (a vicious song with some charming faster moments contrasting with abrasive slow parts, and what lovely guitar riffs and arrangements), "Of Severed Gods" (an intense energy flows from it, and due its Hardcore hooks, it's a song with some Death/Thrash Metal elements with very good grunts and screams of the vocals), "Mars" (an abrasive Groove Metal energy hooks the hearers by the ears due it's intense expression and charming melodies), "It Awaits" (another moment based on contrasts between faster and slow rhythms and intense hooks), "Pillars of Phobos" (an instrumental song that begins with introspective and melancholic intro that catches the attention, and soon a maelstromic chaos of abrasive guitar riffs comes, but what lovely technical appeal of bass guitar and drums can be heard as well), and "The Red Verse" (a slow paced song based on greasy guitars and snarls and screams of the vocals, but it bears a 'Hardcorized' moment near its middle as well) are the right ones.

"The Red Verse" is really a very good release, and for all those who like aggressive Groove Metal acts will love DOG TIRED's music for sure.