Imagine a hard-hitting glam band with hardcore meets hair metal vocals. That would be Padua band Shoot Dogs. There’s no mistaking it—these Dogs have hard blues rock pulsing through their veins. Heavy, groovy, overdrive riffs are at the core of their sound, and a solid rhythm section and powerful vocals serve as the perfect partners in crime. Their debut, self-titled EP Shoot Dogs definitely drives this point home. They take an old school approach to the opening riff in “Earthquake” that would give even AC/DC a run for their money. And they don’t stop there. The song quickly turns into a hardcore romp, with growling lyrics—heavy yet accessible—with touches of high-pitched guitar squealing and shredding solos to set the whole song off. In “Splinters of Thrill” the Shoot Dogs show they’re no one hit wonders. That song contends with the first one in everyway, but this time with lyrical content bordering on the frighteningly sultry. Check out both songs at the band’s Facebook page. The EP was recorded at Velvet Recording Studio in Venice. The Shoot Dogs took these songs and more to the stage at The Factory in Padua this spring for Emergenza Festival Italia, making it all the way to the semifinals. If you didn’t get a chance to see them then, tune into Emergenza.net for more news on this hard rocking Padua band.