The Ultimate Dog v Cat Battle of the Bands Tournament, Round One

I’m really excited about the battles today! Why?  Because my good friend Michele from Angels Bark and I are collaborating on a small battle tournament.


Recently, I had a ‘Feral Cat’ Battle followed by a ‘Dog Fight’ Battle.  We’ve decided to expand on this idea.

As a reminder for you seasoned readers and to help out those of you who may be new here

Here is how a battle works:

Step One - Listen to each of the contenders. TRY not to be persuaded by the videos (unless specifically requested - in the case of today’s battle, listening is more important than watching)


Step Two - Pick the contender that you prefer the most


Step Three - Comment with your selection. (Yes, I know my blog can be pretty sometimes. Yes, I know you may not be familiar with the song(s) or artist(s). Don’t tell me about that. Instead, give me your opinion on which is the better contender.) 


Step Four - Visit Stephen’s blog to check out his battle and for a list of other bloggers that have have battles going on. We each have different battles, so please be sure to visit everyone. I'll provide a link below the videos to Stephen's blog for your convenience.


Alright - I’ll make this next part quick because I know you’ll want to get on to the other battles taking place today.

In 1977, rocker Ted Nugent released the song Cat Scratch Fever. It was the title song for his album of the same name. In 2009, it was named the 32nd best hard rock song of all time by VH1  This song has been covered by quite a few bands, but I’ve narrowed it down to 2 for you to choose from.


Contender #1 - Nitro
Nitro is an American heavy metal band from Hollywood, California. Formed in 1988, the group originally featured vocalist Jim Gillette, guitarist Michael Angelo Batio, bassist T. J. Racer and drummer Bobby Rock. Nitro released its debut album O.F.R. in 1989, which reached number 140 on the US Billboard 200. Rock was replaced by K. C. Comet for the album's promotional tour. Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S., released in 1992, featured Ralph Carter on bass and Johnny Thunder on drums.
The group broke up in 1993, with a number of previously unreleased demo recordings issued in 1999 on the M.A.C.E. Music compilation Gunnin' for Glory. In late 2016, it was announced that Gillette and Batio were set to reform the band, with Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler added to the group's lineup. Alongside bassist Victor Wooten and producer Kane Churko, Nitro is currently recording material for its upcoming third studio album, and has toured with Matt DeVries on bass.





Contender #2 - Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. The group was formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers – drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell – along with lead vocalist Terry Glaze. Bassist Rex Brown joined the band the following year, replacing Tommy D. Bradford, who was the unofficial original. Having started as a glam metal band, Pantera released four albums during the 1980s. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera replaced Glaze with Phil Anselmo in late 1986 and released Power Metal in 1988. With its fifth album, 1990's Cowboys from Hell, Pantera introduced a groove metal sound. Pantera's sixth album, 1992's Vulgar Display of Power, exhibited an even heavier sound. Far Beyond Driven (1994) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Tensions began to surface among the band members when Anselmo became addicted to heroin in 1995; he almost died from an overdose in 1996. These tensions resulted in the recording sessions for The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) being held separately. The ongoing tension lasted for another seven years, during which only one studio album, Reinventing the Steel (2000), was recorded. Pantera went on hiatus in 2001 but was disbanded by the Abbott brothers in 2003 amid communication problems and their conclusion that Anselmo would not return to the band.
The Abbott brothers went on to form Damageplan, while Anselmo continued work on several side projects, including Down, which Rex Brown joined as well. On December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage by a mentally unstable fan during a Damageplan concert in Columbus, Ohio. Vinnie Paul died in 2018, permanently ending hopes for a reunion, and leaving Glaze as the only surviving member of the band's first line-up.





YOU DON’T NEED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH AN ARTIST OR A SONG TO KNOW WHICH ONE YOU PREFER.  There are no right or wrong votes, unless you vote for someone not listed as a contender or don’t vote at all.


I’ll keep the voting open until Sunday, July 22 @ 3pm EST with results posted on Monday, July 23. 

I’d like to encourage you to visit the other bloggers participating in the battle of the bands as well, but especially would like to encourage you to visit Michele’s battle in this tournament. . We’ve put a lot of time and effort into putting together these battles and they are a lot of fun. Each blogger has a different battle taking place. You can find a current list on Stephen’s blog (don't forget you can also request to join the battle of the bands blog hop by simply commenting on his blog that you'd like to join us).

For those of you who may be interested - The battles take place twice a month. Once on the 1st, and again on the 15th. Some participants have chosen to participate only once a month - and that’s okay - we’re just happy to have you join us! Your battle can consist of covers of the same song, different songs with the same title, or even a themed type battle. We just want you to join in the fun! All you need to do is drop Stephen a comment on his blog and he’ll add you to the roster of participants.