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Boiled in Lead — King of the Dogwoods
(Omnium OM2055, 2026, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2026-05-28

King of the Dogwoods Cover art

The announcement that there was a new album on the way from Boiled in Lead was as welcome as it was unexpected. Their last album of new material was Silver way back in 2008, and in all the years since the band’s founding in 1983, they’ve only released eight studio albums. There have been other releases, including live recordings and various collections. There has been a lot of turnover in the ranks as well, and on King of the Dogwoods we find longtime members Todd Menton (guitar, vocals) and Drew Miller (bass) joined by Morris Engel (drums) and Haley Olson (violin, vocals). One thing that hasn’t changed is the basic aesthetic of the group, drawing inspiration and material from cultures all around the world and rendering them in a high-energy blend of acoustic and electric instruments. So you’ll hear Irish jigs and reels and Bulgarian bučimiš dances and the Cajun-inflected “Je T’Aime, Helena” all done with equal fire and skill. They handle the odd meters of the Eastern European material with the same fluid drive as the bouncy reels — the 15/8 of “Bučimiš” is breathlessly fast. Original material and traditional tunes are indistinguishable as to quality. Olson’s violin is often in the lead, and her playing is impressive on both the Celtic and the Balkan tunes. It’s great to hear new music from a band I’ve been following since the mid-80s, and even better to find that it’s as good as anything they’ve ever done.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): Boiled in Lead

More info
http://boiledinlead.bandcamp.com/album/king-of-the-dogwoods
http://boiledinlead.com/recordings/kingdogwoods/

 

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