Puppy - The Goat

It feels like Puppy have been riffing their way around festival bills for years, and yet 2019 sees them finally release their debut full-length. Embracing diverse tours with Creeper, King 810 and doom metal act Conan, Puppy aren’t afraid to mix and match their influences. There are heavy metal riffs that’d bring a headbang out of James Hetfield paired with nagging melodies like ‘Vengeance’ that channel late 90s emo rock.

Vocalist Jock Norton pairs the riffage with a reedy tuneful voice and steers clear of the blood-curdling screams some of his guitar licks imply. The result is a refreshing blend of rock that caters to fans of both muscular guitar histrionics and emotive confessionals. On the evidence of their first record, they may have found a unique niche to carve into the British rock landscape.

Dillon Eastoe