Metal Underground.com

When a band declares "Critics don't like us, well fuck 'em all," as The Dogs Divine do on "Dogs," the opening track of their latest album, "Size Of The Fight," it has a way of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy — an invitation to find fault. In this case, the fault lies not with the instrumentalists, who bash out an appealing brand of groovy metal that falls somewhere between Pantera and AC/DC, but in vocalist Tom Hart, whose delivery seldom changes from a gravel-throated Anselmo-ish growl, even when the music clearly calls on him to do so.

Guitarist Karl Von Heilman acquits himself particularly well on tracks like "FDLF" (which stands for "Fuck Dancing Let's Fuck") and the bottleneck blues of "Gypsy King," which let him add some slightly more soulful sounds. The acoustic instrumental "Gussie" is also a highlight, veering into the realm of country music.

Unsurprisingly, the band meshes best on tracks like "Dogs," "Overnight Sensation" and "Hell Wouldn't Have Me," which feature heavy riffs that are entirely appropriate to Tom Hart's chosen vocal style. Tracks like "One For The Ages," which go for a more straight ahead southern rock simply don't work well, with Hart's glass-gargling growl feeling entirely out of place. Worse yet, Hart simply doesn't seem to have much range, resulting in vocals that largely feel pretty much the same on a track-by-track basis.

Still, if you're a fan of groovy guitars and southern metal sounds, "Size Of The Fight" will have plenty for you to love — if you can get past the vocal delivery.