I had a total blast with 2006's Heading At The Top (you can read the relative review). A top-notch Hard 'n' Heavy release from this Swedes, the CD - I can recall - had blown me away with its endless amplitude and ruthless 'dirty' energy. Nearly two years later, it's time for the follow-up to burst out - via Black Lodge again - and initially I was really wondering if the band would surpass the 2006 work of art. What the hell? Grab a beer, turn it up and let BULLET (with a little more than 40 minutes of their music) pave the way to rockin' freedom.
Bite The Bullet is somehow wilder than Heading At The Top, to begin with. Hofer's vocals are raw and restless, more 'screaming' and more uncompromised. He spits fire and does not stop to sound like a demon on the loose; I confess he brought me into some 'exhausted' status while listening to the whole CD at once, the first couple of times, since he does not seem to try and vary his singing. Still, if you take each track separately in audition, his vocals will not let you down. The music - on the other hand - carries the same tradition, a mix of AC/DC, early ACCEPT, rocking JUDAS PRIEST, 'electric' CULT and KROKUS, but now focuses on some more untamed stuff. But, some 'melodic' parts are lurking in intermezzos and solo back-up rhythms. The guitars' sound is completely 80s and the solos are as retro as you'd expect.
From Pay The Price's mid-tempo madness to The Rebels Return 'wrapping up' pounding, BULLET's tracks uploaded in their MySpace page (from the Swedish band's previous albums) will give you a brief idea on how 'mad' this gang is. For those willing to bring e.g. AIRBOURNE to mind, I'd dare to say that BULLET choose a rather different approach, focusing mostly on the rollin' thunder legacy of the aforementioned bands, rather than the go-ahead grooves.
In any case, if you dig bands releasing albums applicable for some fancy booze on Saturday night at your city's Hard Rock club, BULLET will be a perfect companion by any means. Even fans of the 'uprising' Scandinavian Sleaze Rock scene (BABYLON BOMBS etc) will be keen on this one, even if being more 'metallic' at times. BULLET has returned and I like it like it like it!
P.S.: Surprisingly enough, I could not find any info on the album's details. The band's site and MySpace page have not yet been updated for the new CD, while the label's band link is somehow 'broken'. Hence, the limited relative facts.