WILD DOGS achieved local notoriety in America's North West as a ferocious live act and would regularly appear at the Crossroads Center in Bellevue, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, on bills that would usually also boast local heroes CULPRIT and OVERLORD. Interestingly, one of WILD DOGS' opening bands back in 1982 happened to be MYTH. This group would become QUEENSRYCHE.

WILD DOGS was fronted by vocalist Matthew T. McCourt, a man whose history spanned acts such as RUDE AWAKENING in 1978 with a pre- MALICE Mick Zane as well as THE VIOLATORS and THE RAVERS, both acts coincidently featuring another future MALICE man guitarist Jay Reynolds. Just previous to WILD DOGS, McCourt was singing for DMZ in 1981, reunited with Mick Zane, guitarist Jeff Horton and ranked alongside Pete Holmes - later of BLACK N' BLUE.

The group's first demo, a five song effort delivered in 1983, saw the band borrowing drummer Jaime St. James from fellow Portland outfit MOVIE STAR. St. James would become better known as a vocalist, fronting the group MOVIE STAR which subsequently transformed into BLACK N' BLUE. A permanent drummer would be found in Deen Castronovo just as WILD DOGS were signed by Mike Varney's Shrapnel label for an eponymous 1983 album. A non album track, 'Burning Rain', also saw inclusion on the 1984 'US Metal IV' compilation.

A six song demo, 'Doggy Style', then followed before WILD DOGS released a second album for Shrapnel in 1984, the Mike Varney produced 'Man's Best Friend', recorded at Prairie Sun Studios in California and featuring backing vocals from Pete Marino of LE MANS. The album cover photograph featured a Doberman posed to look like it was biting a bloodied victim. Unfortunately, during the shoot, the dog did actually bite the actor, who was rushed to hospital.

Soon after the 'Man's Best Friend' sessions WILD DOGS sacked McCourt and introduced new singer John Tejeda. McCourt duly founded EVIL GENIUS with a line-up of guitarists Kip Doran and Chris Jacobsen, bassist Ken Goldstein and drummer Ben Linton. However, Tejeda failed to show for a tour backing YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and TALAS, and so McCourt was redrafted for these concerts. EVIL GENIUS recorded an album although it would remain consigned to the vaults. McCourt's next move was to record a 1986 album with MAYHEM and later works with DR. MASTERMIND.

Managed by former JOURNEY and NIGHTRANGER lighting director Ken Mednick, WILD DOGS, now comprising of Michael Furlong, Jeff Marks, Deen Castronovo and new bassist Rick Bartel, of ENEMY, recorded the 'Reign Of Terror' album. MICHAEL FURLONG went on to record two highly commendable AOR type solo albums.

Castronovo later came to prominence playing with BAD ENGLISH and HARDLINE. During downtime in HARDLINE's schedule Castronovo and McCourt resurrected WILD DOGS but the union was brief. The drummer resumed his ever upward spiralling career with OZZY OSBOURNE and BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler's GEEZER venture. McCourt entered into various band ventures such as EASTSIDE STRANGLER with EVIL GENIUS guitarist Kip Doran and, for a fleeting spell, Deen Castronovo. By 1992 the singer was fronting up MEATHOOK in league with POISON IDEA's Kevin Sanders. McCourt auditioned for JUDAS PRIEST in 1993 but was unsuccessful.

It was not the end of the story though. Castronovo rekindled WILD DOGS once again in 1998. Although the drummer soon opted out of this latest reformation, to join the AOR megaband JOURNEY, McCourt would keep the flame alive. During August 1999 WILD DOGS acted as support to a DOKKEN and GREAT WHITE double billing, guested for DIO in March 2000 and BLUE OYSTER CULT the following year. An album of demos and outtakes, 'Better Late Than Never', also emerged. Confusingly for a short period the new look WILD DOGS operated as EVIL GENIUS before reverting back to WILD DOGS, this time with Deen Castronovo's son Kyle on the drum stool. The 2002 line-up comprised McCourt, guitarist Jeff Mark, bass player Dann Kurth and drummer Tom Moller. WILD DOGS then returned with a 2004 album, 'Down And Dirty', featuring cover model Katy Monique of Italian television show 'US Metal'. Follow up 'The Ring Of Blood' arrived in 2006.

Besides WILD DOGS McCourt played out the role of Rob Halford in JUDAS PRIEST covers band BRITISH STEEL. In 2006 McCourt forged FATT MATT, also involving guitarist Kurt James, of the NEIL TURBIN band, BLACK SHEEP, STEELER and M.A.R.S., plus drummer Bryce van Patten. The self-financed album 'Atomic Thunder', featuring a cover version of ALICE COOPER's 'Elected', arrived in 2006.