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The Winery Dogs pools a trio of virtuoso musicians renowned for decades of experience. Drummer Mike Portnoy was with Dream Theater and Adrenaline Mob, Billy Sheehan played bass with David Lee Roth among many others and guitarist Richie Kotzen replaced Paul Gilbert

But if those names cause you to expect one big muso wank, think again. This debut album offers a vague but knowing nod to 60s icons like Cream, Led Zeppelin and Hendrix.

Above all, what makes it so successful are the sugar-sweet vocals of Richie Kotzen, equally persuasive on the smooth yet hard-rocking Elevate, We Are One, Six Feet Deeper and the Alice In Chains-esque Time Machine as during mellower moments such as the shimmering excellence of Damaged or The Dying. The Dogs’ bollocks.

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.

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