Bullet Highway Pirates
by Mark Allen
Staff Writer
If this Swedish band was aiming for an AC/DC meets Accept kind of vibe, then they have hit the bulls-eye with sniper-like precision. This is the band’s third album and they exhibit zero signs of wanting to evolve, apparently happy with the niche they have carved out for themselves. No modern production trickery, no commercial concessions in order to curry mainstream favor, no compromises whatsoever. This is pure, unadulterated, high-voltage hard rock that proudly flies a flag of ripped denim and black leather. Someone might call this retro or old-school. Someone else would call it timeless and classic. Both would be right.
Bullet’s primary influence is the aforementioned AC/DC; at least 80% of their sound is borrowed from the Back in Black boys. But not content to simply mimic, they have taken that influence and mixed in their own metal attitude, lending this release the kind of driving energy that, quite frankly, annihilates AC/DC’s recent output, and yes, that includes the highly-lauded Black Ice.
Vocalist Hell Hofer has the kind of gritty voice that was genetically engineered to sing this throwback style of hard rock: one quarter Brian Johnson, one quarter Bon Scott, one quarter Udo Dirkschneider, and one quarter crunchy gravel laced with glass shards. It is to Hofer’s credit that despite sounding like he is rasping through a razor-slashed throat, he is never unintelligible; each lyric is easily deciphered through the singing, screaming, and shouting as well as the raucous, revved up rock ‘n’ roll being cranked out.
The songs are overloaded with lyrical clichés, but that is in keeping with Bullet’s old-fashioned metal trappings, and these clichés are done not out of lyric-writing laziness, but genuine respect for the hard rocking glory days the band is rooted in. Bullet says to hell with poetic introspection and proggy dreamscapes and instead writes songs called “Stay Wild,” “Heavy Metal Dynamite,” and “Knuckleduster.” There is no pretense behind these kinds of rowdy anthems: what pops into your head when you read those song titles is exactly what those songs deliver. This is bad boy metal, all rebellious attitude and sneering swagger and Bullet wear it well, like a favorite sweater…or leather jacket with the arms torn off.
The twin guitars are sharp and nasty, just the way they should be, at times reminiscent of Angus Young’s simple yet oh so sweet riffs, but packing more metal bite in the delivery. These guitars have fangs, the kind that strike from the speakers and inject your blood with rock ‘n’ roll venom. They are the foundation of the band, the most noticeable aspect of their sound, and they succeed in their mission to carry the album on their cranked-to-the-max shoulders. That is not to detract from the other musicians; the bass forms a flawless lockstep with the guitars to provide some much-appreciated muscle while the drumming is several notches above average. The music Bullet has chosen to play may be relatively straight-forward within the metal realm, but this is a talented bunch of heavy metal hellraisers, not some amateur hacks flailing away in their daddy’s garage.
The songs themselves are catchier than an STD in a Bangkok brothel, every one of them designed around a big ol’ hard rock hook. Not subtle hooks, not the kind of hooks that finally sink in after three or four spins; no, the hooks on this album will snag you instantly and before the song is over, you will be singing along, probably with your head banging and your fists in the air (not recommended while driving). This is the appropriate response, the reaction Bullet wants to trigger within your metal-loving soul.
So it’s AC/DC with more metal. It’s Accept with bigger hooks. It’s Airbourne with more snarl. If any of those comparisons sound intriguing to you, you owe it to yourself to seek this one out like a pirate hunting for buried treasure, because for the classic hard rock lovers out there, this one is like finding a chest full of gold.
Genre: Hard rock
Band:
Hell Hofer (vocals)
Hampus Klang (lead guitar)
Erik Almstrom (lead guitar)
Adam Hector (bass)
Gustav Hjortsjo (drums)
Track Listing
1. Highway Pirates
2. Back on the Road
3. Stay Wild
4. Blood Run Hot
5. Fire and Dynamite
6. Down and Out
7. Knuckleduster
8. Heavy Metal Dynamite
9. Citylights
10. Into the Night
Black Lodge/Sound Pollution
Hardrock Haven rating: 7.2/10