Play Games

Dog Eat Dog's second album Play Games improves on the crunching metal, punk, hip-hop and reggae fusions of their debut album by offering a more muscular production and more developed songwriting. With the Butcher Brothers behind the boards, the group's sound turns powerful and menacing; when Robert Musso produces, their funky rhythms come to the forefront. In addition to the band's own freewheeling musical sensibilities, the album features terrific cameos by the Beastie Boys, RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan and Ronnie James Dio. In all, the music on Play Games is so strong, it is surprising that the band isn't among America's most popular metal/punk/funk hybrids. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine