Bullets and Octane – In The Mouth of the Young

Bullets and Octane – In The Mouth of the Young / 2006 RCA / http://www.bullets-and-octane.com / http://www.rca.com / Reviewed 27 March 2006

Bullets and Octane play the same high-powered rock of bands like Fu Manchu and Corrosion of Conformity, while deferring to an earlier brand of hard rock (think mid-eighties for a good reference point). Each of the songs that grace “In The Mouth of the Young” contain this same dedication to the band’s own style, with fist-pounding anthems and catchy choruses being the norm instead of the exception here. In fact, a track like “My Disease” seems to come directly from the hair metal tradition, to the degree that individuals can almost hear the track alongside acts like Dio and early Ratt. Still, the distinct vocal style pushed forward on “In The Mouth of the Young” makes such a direct comparison nearly impossible.

Where each of the few opening tracks for the album were strong in their own right, it may just be the case that “Save Me Sorrow” is the first unqualified hit of the album for Bullets and Octane. The track is lead by a guitar/drum dynamic that goes far beyond driven into something that is eagerly chomping at the bit, struggling to become free. “I Ain’t Your Savior” is another track that further solidifies the band’s spot in the leading rock bands of the era. There is a punk meets rockabilly sound to this track that links together Avenged Sevenfold with older AFI and Misfits until the band is working at a level that surpasses all of the aforementioned influences. The drum work created for this track is perhaps where the band shines the brightest; the stop-start sound of these drum beats sets a tone for the rest of the disc that cannot be broken.

This punk meets rockabilly sound comes forth through a number of the later tracks on “In The Mouth of the Young”, to the point that this sound becomes something that individuals should expect from the band instead of something that the band can come back to when they wish. “Last Mistake” is another track that will be played on all radio and video shows for the next year or so, whether it be because of the very active guitars or the smooth vocals present on the track. Bullets and Octane have really gotten their act together since “The Revelry”, and it is hopefully farther into this vein of music that we will hear more from Bullets and Octane in the next few years.

Top Tracks: Last Mistake, I Ain’t Your Savior

Rating: 7.0/10

[JMcQ]