Slaughter & The Dog's singer Wayne Barrett departed the band around 1980 and they reformed with Ed Banger to release this 2nd album Bite Back. Even under a diff namd (just, Slaughter) the band isnt too different musically. They're not the same raw trashy sounding punk they were on Do It Dog Style, they have a more mid tempo straightforward rock sound. Albeit, if you're a punk conisseur, this wont matter. In the vein of bands like Stiff Little Fingers and the Buzzcocks, or the Jam, if you can enjoy your punk with a more rock n roll edge to it...you will enjoy Bite Back.
Now I Know, What's Wrong Boy, Wont Let Go and the almost Adicts like It's All Over Now are all very engaging and cool basic rock style punk hybrid tunes. She Ain't Gonna Show has an opening bit right out of a 70's AC/DC song before bashing into a full on highlight track, with a good mid paced chorus and lots of great riffing that really fully relizes the more glam rock influences. Hell In Ny, Crashing Out With Lucy, Chasing Me, and It's All In The Mind are all competant rockers which all splice together pub rock and punk elements. But the real song to seek out on Bite Back is East Side Of Town, a heavily melodic, piano/organ lead rocker that is something of a classic. Really showing off the bands New York style influences more than anything they'd done, it might be a little too much of a change for typical punk rockers. The album returns to familar pace though with Don't Wanna Die (also featuring saxophone. The album is rounded out by catchy rockers like Im The One and One By One.
At the end of the day, this might not take priority with London Calling, Inflammable Material, Rocket To Russia, but Slaughter's two albums offer cool and fun British meets NY style rock n roll. Full of brash energy and a party vibe that never lets go.
