I’d like to preface this review by stating just how awesome it is that The Rods are still making new music in 2025. Their latest album, Wild Dogs Unchained, could be absolute garbage, and I’d still have to hand it to them for longevity alone. Lucky for us, it’s not. In fact, Wild Dogs Unchained isn’t even merely OK. Much like last year’s Rattle the Cage and 2019’s Brotherhood of Metal before that, Wild Dogs Unchained is yet another slab of top shelf old school metal, proudly continuing a new golden age for this band which goes toe to toe with their original ’80s run.
While distinctly Rods from start to finish, Wild Dogs Unchained is certainly its own beast, carving its own unique spot in the band’s iconic canon. Whereas Rattle the Cage was a high voltage collection of brainless anthems and punishing proto-thrashers, WDU comes off as a more mature album, certainly from a musical standpoint. Now don’t confuse this increased maturity for a band lightening things up in their old age. Even well into their 70s, The Rods step out heavier than ever on WDU with a collection of songs that are rich, thought provoking, and undeniably powerful.
From the opening melodic metal romp of “Eyes of a Dreamer”, there’s an increased presence of keys, courtesy of Grammy award winner, Lonnie Park: The fourth Rod, so to speak. This gives the song a brooding, otherworldly feel reminiscent of Deep Purple and Rainbow, two bands closely connected to The Rods’ mythos. Other songs proudly boasting these shades of Deep Purple include the driving “Run, Run, Run”, straightforward “Rock and Roll Fever”, and sizzling “Mirror Mirror”. These heavy rockers are countered by power-doom ballads like “Tears for the Innocent” and “World on Fire”: A pair of emotionally charged epics that would make David “Rock” Feinstein’s late cousin Dio proud.
As if 7 new songs weren’t enough, there’s also 3 re-recordings in “Wild Dogs”, “Make Me a Believer”, and “Hurricane”. Now I already know what you’re thinking. “Joe, didn’t you yourself say re-recordings were completely pointless?” Probably. There’s also exceptions to the rule, such as right here. While I’ll always gravitate to the original renditions of “Wild Dogs” and “Hurricane”, these new renditions are nothing to scoff at, boasting heftier production and a more powerful drum sound this time around. As for “Make Me a Believer”, just the prospect of Feinstein tackling a song originally sung by the late Shmoulik Avigal, and doing a fine job at it, makes this worth the price of admission.
In the closing of my review for Rattle the Cage, I lamented the possibility of it being the last Rods album. Never in my life have I been more thrilled to be wrong. Wild Dogs Unchained continues The Rods’ heavy rockin’ reign with style, grace, and turbo-charged guitar riffs that smack you in the face! And if our latest interview with drummer Carl Canedy is any indicator, and if humanity doesn’t go extinct in the foreseeable future, WDU will NOT be the final Rods album either, as the power trio is currently hard at work on album #12. How’s that for some Rods n’ roll?!
8 out of 10
Label: Massacre Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Anvil, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple