BULLETS AND OCTANE - review added 5th October 2009
Album Review: Laughing In The Face Of Failure (2009)
For fans of: Alt Rock... and double album re-releases
Strange release this one, but bear with me. Laughing In The Face Of Failure isn't actually a new album from Bullets And Octane, rather a compilation of their two previous albums - Song For The Underdog and the self-titled Bullets And Octane - plus a couple of bonus tracks. Neither of these LPs were officially released outside the USA when made, so they've now been put together as a double disc set.
Bullets And Octane have been around for just over a decade and were formed in St. Louis, Missouri. There's been a bit of member shuffling over the last year or two but, at the time of writing, the line-up is Gene Louis (lead vocals), Brent Clawson (bass), Brian Totten (drums), Jack Tankersley (lead guitar) and Kevin Besignano (rhythm guitar).
The sound is punky, poppy, rocky and surprisingly fun. There's hints of Avenged Sevenfold's leftfield take on metal, but the overriding feel is of lightweight, accessible party punk designed for enjoyment, not aggression. Gene Louis has a cool voice with a clear tone and gritty edge. He can kick it when he needs to, but It's easier to imagine him peddling his seedy vocals in a risque jazz bar than a leather-and-nails metal club. He makes the music what it is, bringing oodles of character and a certain charm.
Highlights from the first disc include the comedically rude 'The Perfect Bitch', the jovial fast paced 'Song For The Underdog' with it's excellent harmonized chorus, the infectious 'Welcome To Our Holiday', the spunky but downbeat 'All Down Hill From Here' and the frankly hilarious 'Everyone's In Love With Me'.
On the second, slightly heavier disc you've got the faux-frantic 'I'm Alive', the kind-of dark 'Devil On The Radio', 'The Underground', an offbeat track with a mystical filmscore feel hidden beneath the surface, the lyrically demented jaunt 'Skull' and the bouncy remake of 2004 song 'Pirates'.
The reality is there's nothing bad on either half of this release. Both discs would make great standalone albums. Together they are pretty damn awesome.
Check out... The violent mischievousness of it all.
Track List:
Disc 1:
1. Breakout
2. The Perfect Bitch
3. City Of Angels
4. Song For The Underdog
5. Building A Legend
6. I Caught Fire
7. Harder To Breathe
8. Gravestone Love
9. Welcome To Our Holiday
10. Sweet Angel
11. All Down Hill From Here
12. My Heart Is An Empire
13. Everyone's In Love With Me
Disc 2:
1. Never Going Down
2. Bang Bang
3. I'm Alive
4. Under My Thumb
5. Dark Lights
6. Devil On The Radio
7. Black Painting
8. It's A Cemetery Song
9. The Underground
10. Skull
11. Pirates 2009
12. Chemicals
13. Murder Maria
Label: Global Music
Artist's website(s): MySpace
