The Winery Dogs release their debt self-titled album. This is no novice offering; the three band members have years of experience in the rock genre: vocalist & guitarist Richie Kotzen made his mark with Poison and Mr Big, Billy Sheehan has been rocking the bass for decades with Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr Big and others, and drummer Mike Portnoy was the co-founder of prog metal superstars, Dream Theater.

As you'd expect, with this sort of pedigree, The Winery Dogs's debut album comes together with such an effortless ease that it's hard to get your head around the fact that they've only been performing together since 2012.

The Winery Dogs represents an eclectic mix of songs that groove and swing without sacrificing any hard rock grit. Kotzen has been very vocal about the reason why this album delivers so many different styles, which ultimately blend together to make for an incredibly diverse listening experience. Kotzen states that all three of the band members have their own distinct voicings and style, whilst all have a common ground of music they grew up with. He believes what makes the band so special is that in their collaboration, none of them have lost their identity, the result is a natural chemistry.

There are a number of tracks on this album that you can imagine becoming instant classics - songs that generations to come will listen to on 'Greatest Rock Anthem' compilations. 'I'm No Angel', 'Damaged' and 'Time Machine' are all contenders for this title. On the softer side, we have 'You Saved Me', 'Damaged' and 'Regret'.

The album contains 13 tracks (with a running time of 1 hr, 30 sec). This is a feel-good rock album that you'll be playing for years to come.

8

Nick Smithson