The Scratch, Pull Like a Dog

There have been few times in my life where the opening to an album is so transformative to my understanding of what a genre is as a whole. The most recent song of memory was IDLES’ “Colossus”, opening up Joy as an Act of Resistance. I waited for almost 5 years for something to grip me so quickly. Enter The Scratch, a Dublin, Ireland-based 5-piece band that blends traditional Irish melodies with a tenacious metal and punk approach. The Scratch’s third studio LP, Pull Like a Dog, pushes bars in metal and punk music that Americans didn’t even know existed.

The title track arrives, smacking like a hammer to an anvil. The maniacal drums of Daniel “Lango” Lang introduce you to this group's immense energy. The shared vocal efforts sound majestic before leading you into more chaos with tight, chuggy rhythm guitar. These lads definitely aren’t slouches on their respective instruments. Every piece of their prowess is crunched into this song. The syncopated breakdown at the end had me thinking my chair was floating. 

The next track feeds more into their Irish swing sound. Featuring none other than Dropkick Murphys’ Kevin Rheault, “Pullin’ Teeth” feels like a subtle passing of the torch. It isn’t long before The Scratch has their own “Shippin’ Up to Boston”, and hopefully more. The chunky, low-end guitars always surprise the listener. It’s a flawless blending of Irish culture and music. 

Pull Like a Dog doesn’t pull punches. Every track hits in its own unique way. “Gladrags” pulls from more nu-metal and industrial influences. The Scratch proves that dynamic range is their friend as well with “Cracks”. Their emotionally turbulent lyrics and baritone vocals transcend your mind to a different quadrant of their space. The prog bones in this album grow stronger and stronger with each track. By the time you reach “Mother of God”, you know that guitarist locked himself in the room with some Tool records back in the day. Combined with a blistering bass, it’s such a tense song all the way into the drop. It makes the almost four-minute wait for it worth it.

Walking into this with zero expectations was the best experience. Pull Like a Dog is a clinical heavy music masterpiece. A week into April, this is a confident early contender for Album of the Year. These fellas are true technicians of their craft but leave so much space for emotion. The out-of-body harmonies lift this album into such a firm grasp on the ears. After hearing the new album from The Scratch, you won’t listen to music the same for a while.

'Pull Like a Dog' released March 13, 2026.