In The Doghouse (The Best Of Dog Eat Dog) [ECD]

Dog Eat Dog's departure from Roadrunner didn't spell the end of the band -- its Web site promises that new material is being written in anticipation of a new record deal. Even so, In the Dog House puts a definitive end-stamp on Dog Eat Dog's Roadrunner lifespan, pulling 15 tracks from singles and the band's three albums. There's also a four-track bonus disc with videos for defining cuts like "No Fronts [Jam Master Jay's Main Edit]" and "Expect the Unexpected." Dog House has some continuity issues, but that's partly because Dog Eat Dog did, too. There's the loud, funky rap-metal of "Who's the King [Slight Remix]" and "Unexpected"; "One Day"'s low-key social commentary hip-hop; and the Bosstones-esque punk/horn hybrid "Rocky." There's plenty of promise in these tracks, and it's puzzling why the band never broke wide in America like they did in Europe. At the same time, In the Dog House falters in its second half, where remixes of four existing songs take over. For example, the gritty Junkie XL version of "Step Right In" is great, but the accompanying "Frantastic Plastic Machine" remix is misdirected and too busy. Overall however, the album does feature enough of Dog Eat Dog's finest moments to function well as a retrospective (or even an introduction), and longtime fans who might have lost track of early or European singles should find most of the remixes appealing. ~ Johnny Loftus|