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01.03.15

• The Shams: One And All (EP)
• Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz
• Sacral Rage: Illusions In Infinite Void
• Motor Sister: Ride
• Lonely Robot: Please Come Home
• The Gentle Storm: The Diary
• Axemaster: Overture To Madness
• Thunderheart: Night of the Warriors

22.02.15

• Various Artists: Stoned - A Psych Tribute to The Rolling Stones
• Doghouse Swine: Fearless (EP)
• Trauma: Rapture and Wrath
• The Storyteller: Sacred Fire
• M-Opus: 1975 Triptych
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• Various Artists: Spacewalk - A Tribute to Ace Frehley

15.02.15

• Tempest: The Tracks We Leave
• Rothery, Steve: The Ghosts of Pripyat
• Furyon: Lost Salvation
• Sylvan: Home
• UFO: A Conspiracy Of Stars
• VCPS: VCPS (EP)
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• Colossus: Drunk On Blood and The Sepulcher of the Mirror Warlocks

08.02.15

• Herman Rarebell & Friends: Herman's Scorpion Songs
• 6:33: Deadly Scenes
• THEO: The Game Of Ouroboros
• Seconds Before Landing: II
• Odin's Court: Turtles All The Way Down
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• Cailyn: Voyager
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01.02.15

• Black Star Riders: The Killer Instinct
• Aktor: Paranoia
• Whyzdom: Symphony For A Hopeless God
• China Sky: II
• Eclipse: Armageddonize
• Issa: Crossfire
• Aura: Noise
• Wind Rose: Wardens of the West Wind
• Neal Morse Band, The: The Grand Experiment

[ More Music Reviews ]

Bullet: Highway Pirates

Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

3.5/5.0

Black Lodge Records
Website MySpace
by Craig Hartranft,  01.17.2011

I still think they sound like AC/DC. Rather than a charm, Bullet's third release, Highway Pirates, is simple consistency. Bullet's still delivering the gritty and catchy hard rock that made their Aussie peers famous. Yet, something seems different. I hope it's not my imagination or simple wishful thinking. On Highway Pirates Bullet seems to given their sound a more (melodic) heavy metal edge. Certainly that rocking boogie style is underneath it all but songs like Fire and Dynamite, Stay Wild, Highway Pirates, and Heavy Metal Dynamite sound like traditional NWOBHM meets AC/DC. Maybe AC/DC meets Accept? Not sure about that blend.

But, as I said, maybe I'm just want to believe that Bullet can step out of that huge shadow. One positive thing is certain: with all those telltale AC/DC signs, there is a greater depth and breadth to the arrangements on Highway Pirates. On 2009's Bite the Bullet everything seemed to run together. Not this time; there's better variation across the entire disc. If anything, there's the real advancement of Bullet. Into the Night and Knuckleduster are evidence. Nevertheless, for all my hopeful expectations, or lack there of, Bullet still sounds like AC/DC, just more metal-ish.

For all my hopeful expectations, or lack there of, Bullet still sounds like AC/DC, just more metal-ish. Yet this work shows greater maturity with better song craftsmanship.

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