BULLET – Kickstarter

A name can hardly be more Metal than Bullet, can it? The five-piece band hails from the beautifully named city of Växjö, Sweden, which screams metal, too, with its two umlauts. It is no wonder that Bullet has been shooting their hard tunes into the ether for two and a half decades and shows no signs of slowing down, except for the fact that there have been almost seven years between album number six, 2018’s Dust To Gold, and the new release, Kickstarter.

From Heavy to Hard

But other than the unusually long break, not much has changed in the Bullet camp. The musical development has shifted the band slowly from metal to hard rock, a transition that became apparent only gradually as songs became shorter, more concise, and to the point. Kickstarter is the culmination of that development to date, and the sound suits them very well. This is certainly less headbanging than “move-your-hips-but-don’t-spill-your-beer” rock, which is as simple as it is effective.

Eleven Straight Hits in Classic Style

Album number seven contains eleven songs in thirty-nine minutes. Most of them are no-frills rock that hit the same place in our rocker’s hearts as AC/DC, Accept, or Skid Row do, just to name a few of the myriad of hard rockin’ bands that provide timeless musical fun, just like Bullet does. Actually, the first two of the bands mentioned provide a great frame for Kickstarter, as Bullet sounds a lot like the Australian mega-stars in “Keep Rolling” and “Night Falls Down” and Accept in “Chained By Metal” and “Strike At Night”, especially since singer Dag Hofer’s voice is very close to Accept’s original vocalist and German metal icon Udo Dirkschneider.

Classical, Irresistible, But Hardly Original

Indeed, there is not a lot more that could be said about Kickstarter, as it sports a classical hard rock style that we all have heard many times but which never disappoints when served with power and conviction, like Bullet does. There is not a weak song on their newest output, and the album flies by entertainingly. However, some props may increase the enjoyment, like friends, bikes, beer, and — a stage. If the band can put this array of songs to the test in a live concert, it should easily be worth an even higher score!

Lineup

Dag Hofer – Vocals
Hampus Klang – Guitar
Freddie Johansson – Guitar
Gustav Hector – Bass
Gustav Hjortsjö – Drums

Album Tracklist

1. Kickstarter
2. Caught In The Action
3. Open Fire
4. Keep Rolling
5. Hit The Road
6. Avenger
7. Chained By Metal
8. Spitfire
9. Full Throttle
10. Strike At Night
11. Night Falls Down

Check out the official video for the title track “Kickstarter“: