If you like your Metal done rare and with more than a nod to the old school, then hopefully you have already made acquaintance with Bullet who take the ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ approach to their music. If you’re new to the band then this new offering ‘Dust to Gold’ is as good a place as any to start.
Taking a Maiden meets Accept and Priest vintage metal template these Swedish natives run with what they know works and do it very well indeed. Take opener ‘Speed and Attack’ – a song that sounds like it was forged in a fiery pit and still has all the heat and energy of those flames. Or second up ‘Ain’t Enough’ (the first single) which defies modern genre geeks to give a hit from the days when old school hard rock and heavy metal were only a few steps apart, here lies the charm as the instantly catchy tune is driven forward by the distinctive vocals and racing guitars.
Best of all here, aside from some great songs, is the production which manages to strike a wonderful balance between the organic analogue sounds of the past and the clarity and ‘in your face’ sheen of the modern. And it’s that glorious sound that really lifts this one above the chasing pack wanting to relive the glory days of early 80’s European Metal.
Dig in deeper and you’ll find gems like the catchy anthem that is ‘Rouge Soldier’ and the relentlessness of ‘Fuel the Fire’. If you’re familiar with the band’s back catalogue then you’ll find a little less of the AC/DC influence here and more of the Metal but it’s a subtle change in direction that you can’t fault.
Check out the raw and ready ‘One More Round’, the hard rocking ‘Highway Love’ and its rabble-rousing neighbor ‘Wildfire’. It’s all damned fine stuff. And therein lies the rub – there’s nothing here you won’t love – 12 tracks of real Metal from a band who 12 years in appear to be at the very top of their game.
