Cats and Dogs

Cats and Dogs is the sixth album, using springing bass, sharp guitar and Jeff Scott Soto's expressive singing to make light, tough hard rock. After a five-year silence, it was released in 2003 on Italy's Frontiers. It was recorded over two weeks at a studio in Acqui Terme near Turin, offered free of charge, with Fredrik Åkesson returning to the studio; Howie Simon joined for the live shows. As on the previous album, John Ellis in Boston helped with the finishing. The fact that Soto's solo deal with Frontiers became the foothold for this revival is an interesting turn. The songs keep riff strength while flexibly taking in funky rhythms and pop melody. From the opener “Skin on Skin” through “In Make Believe,” “Outta My Way,” “Trapped” and “Lost in the Wasteland” to the closing “Hell in Paradise,” playing skill turns into natural groove, and the band's ease shows throughout. More than a decade on, a grown-up melodic hard record balancing playfulness with a strong core.