Tag: dillinger

the hunt - the thrill of the kill
CD

The Hunt: Thrill Of The Kill (1982)

One last go-round with The Hunt, Canada’s rocking combo that couldn’t hold with the proggy classic stylings of their self-titled debut, fumbled with the slick processed AOR of their sophomore release, and in their third incarnation settled on a slight if enjoyable amalgam of hack rock and proto-hair metal with The Thrill Of The Kill. The music is further streamlined into simple rock arrangements but there’s a consistency in identity that makes this a step up from Back On The Hunt. I honestly don’t know how often I’d turn to this record as opposed to dozens (if not hundreds) of bands that did it better, but as an alternative to the big hitters I’ve worn the grooves and tape out on, it’s certainly not the worst alternative, and overall is pretty fun, especially when they stick to their guns…and their own songs.

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the hunt - the hunt
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The Hunt: The Hunt (1977)

Okay, so Canada begat Montreal, who begat the Harrison brothers Jacques and Robert, who moved to Toronto and with Paul Cockburn and Terry Bramhall begat Dillinger, who put out two albums that were a kind of pumped up proggy Grand Funk Railroad and Chicago that had their moments but failed to make an impact. So Robert Harrison and Terry Bramhall left, and Jacques and Bruce – under the guidance of their manager Cliff Hunt – formed the not-so-coincidentally named The Hunt, moving further away from the weird prog elements and getting a little more Led Zeppelin in their sounds thanks to the pipes of new vocalist Brian Gagnon. With a new drummer and bassist also in tow, The Hunt definitely feels of a moment, that moment being late 70s AOR hard rock. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just a different thing.

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dillinger - don't lie to the band
CD

Dillinger: Don’t Lie To The Band (1976)

The sophomore effort from Canadian hard rock band with extra ambition (thanks, ProgArchives!) Dillinger doubles down on everything from the debut: double the songs, double the…covers? There’s certainly more to enjoy with Don’t Lie To The Band, in many ways a step up for the band. The originals are more tightly arranged yet maintain a broad reach, extending beyond jazzy hard rock to encompass funk and a more modern, slick backed rock sound. There are some tradeoffs: the hard rock edge is largely abandoned for a more pop-inflected production that despite having some assistance from future mega producer Terry Brown (Rush) leaves the guitars thin and the sound of the kick drum abysmal, but the stronger songwriting wins out. Soon Dillinger would implode and turn into something called The Hunt (we’ll get to them) but for now let’s feel the weirdness one more time.

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dillinger- dillinger
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Dillinger: Dillinger (1974)

Oh, look: I’m reviewing a progressive/classic rock album from the 70s. New year, same old shit, in other words. But I have zero problem with that: it feels a little like coming home after a long trip. And because it’s brief (only two albums) we’re kicking off with the self-titled debut from Dillinger, a Canadian hard rock outfit with some progressive proclivities. Think Grand Funk Railroad with more keyboards and a bit more of a chip on their shoulder, especially considering this is a debut album. What do I mean by that? You’ll have to read the rest below the jump.

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