Bullet – Bite The Bullet

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Black Lodge
Produced by Carl Johan Erlandsson & David Persson

Sweden’s Bullet are now on their second album and while they’re starting to make an impression in mainland Europe, they’ve yet to have any impact in the UK at all; still seeking that debut live show.

Part of the reason could be Bullet have made no attempt to mask the fact that they are copying absolutely every aspect of AC/DC’s sound. It’s actually quite criminal that Airbourne have come along, adopted an equally AC/DC-tribute-band style, and are more successful than Bullet. Neither should have any recognition above tribute band status, but Bullet were at least first. They’re also better.

Vocalist Dag Hofer’s voice is at times absolutely identical to current AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson’s, and the rest of the time it has to settle for just being exceptionally close. The guitar tone is exactly like Angus Young’s and even the backing vocals could just as well be Malcolm Young and Cliff Williams. They’ve managed to craft the same simple but great riffs (Pay The Price is so immediate you’d think you were listening to the real thing) and sound like they’re just as tight as a band, lack quite the same tongue-in-cheek aspect to the lyrics. If this were another AC/DC-less year, Bite The Bullet would be worth checking out as an interim.

Indeed when Bullet issued their first album, Heading For The Top, in 2006 it was six years since the last AC/DC album, Airbourne weren’t around yet, and there was no new AC/DC album in sight. So even though it was nothing more than a copycat sound, it filled the void left by AC/DC’s rather extended hiatus. This year is the wrong year to attempt the same trick. AC/DC are, finally, releasing their new album Black Ice next month and Airbourne are making a huge impression on the scene with their debut Running Wild. With Bullet coming along later in the year than Airbourne, and right on top of the AC/DC release, they look like a poor third before anyone presses the play button.

In reality they’re a poor second. Better than Airbourne they may be, but there’s no escaping what this album really represents, and there’re more than enough good AC/DC albums to occupy everyone who might care, especially with the imminent arrival of the new one.

“ AC/DC-tribute-band ”

Tracklist: Pay The Price / Roadking / Bite The Bullet / Dusk Til Dawn / Nailed To The Ground / City of Sins / Waste My Time / Rock n Roll Remedy / Rock Us Tonight / Wheels Keep On Turning / The Rebels Return

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Hard Rock, Bullet