Customer Reviews

In The Mouth Of The Young

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Recently the local classic rock radio station here in Atlanta changed its format so that it now only plays modern rock, which essentially means an endless loop of Disturbed, Korn, Nickelback, and Linkin Park. What exactly does this have to do with Bullets and Octane's latest album In the Mouth of the Young? Just this: if I have a radio station that is supposed to be dedicated to playing new "rock", why in the hell do I have to keep hunting on my own for bands that actually ROCK?

I'm mainly a metal guy, but there are times when only a good straightforward hard rock album will do. I don't want emo or nu-metal or whatever-core. I want loud, fast, heavy ROCK. I want bands like Brand New Sin, Fireball Ministry, Black Stone Cherry, the Quill, and this band, Bullets and Octane. I took a chance on this album at my local used CD store based largely on the album cover, which has to be the coolest cover in just about forever. In the Mouth of the Young hits you like a heart attack from the very first notes of "Going Blind" and never lets up until the album is over. To my ears, Bullets and Octane sounds like Social Distortion meets Motorhead meets a nail-spiked baseball bat. For all the speed and aggression, there is still that underlying sense of melody that keeps you engaged and able to sing (yell) along with the songs.

This is good stuff, people. It's the kind of no-nonsense ROCK that you just can't seem to find these days. This is the kind of real ROCK that modern rock radio should be playing, but instead will completely ignore unless someone starts rapping over the album or whining about how g*ddamn melancholy they are.

Bullets And Octane-In The Mouth Of The Young *****

Where have these guys been my whole life? This is the rock and roll band I have been waiting for! Their loud, fast, lewd and sometimes crud. Bullets And Octane is simply put the best new band to come along in maybe the last seven years. Ty Smiths drumming is charged with punk angst and pissed off emotion. Brent Clawson bass lines are greatly executed when audible. James Daniels guitar playing is fantastic, destined to become one of the legends of this generation. But the band is powered by the powerful vocals of Gene Louis. His raw-gritty groans add a great texture to the albums feel.

Starting with the albums best and strongest song can go one of two ways. Either it will just go straight down hill afterwards or it can set the pace for what will become a classic album, and thats what `Going Blind' does for In The Mouth Of The Young. Clearly the best song with one hell of a chorus and a fantastic solo. What an amazing way to start the album. `My Disease' is in the same vein as `Going Blind' just not as in your face. Its still a great song. `Save Me Sorrow' is one of the best songs on the album as well as one of my favorites. Great guitar plying and awesome vocals to backup a wonderful melody make this a stand out track on the album. `I Aint Your Savior' is another hard-rocker with a incredibly catchy chorus you'll being singing all day. One hell of a song if you ask me. `Cancer California' easily has the best lyrics of all the songs on the album. Nice title and killer groves to back it up! `Last Mistake' is a song that I wasn't expecting much from because of the title. It seemed very cliche, well it's a superb song. `Signed In Alcohol' apart from a super cool title is also one of the coolest songs on the album. It's in your face rock and roll, and its really everything I love about rock and roll, its everything it should be! The chainsaw guitar riff is amazing. `Queen Mirage' is all about the guitar! The solo reminds me of their touring partners Avenged Sevenfold, and early 1980's heavy metal. Its different then all the other songs on the album, truly a original song in an age of reprints. `Caving In' is my second favorite song on the album. The lyrics are so pure and honest and so rock and roll! This song hits you like a ton of bricks. "Too late for suicide" is the lyric you will have stuck in your head for days. `Bathroom Floor' is a slower song, more of a ballad, well almost. It's a great song and it was good to see that the band had a slight softer side. `All Hail Halo' has a great guitar riff by James Daniel. Louis' vocals are some of the best on the album here. The album ends the same way it began, in your face. `Mine Now' is intense and in your face. It ends the album perfectly leaving the listener wanting more, and making me count the days till the new album and the new tour!

Coming on like a freight train and leaving no fan unpleased, In The Mouth Of The Young is one of, if not the best album to come out this year as well as one of the best albums of the last ten years. I recommend this album to anyone who wants to be blown away be fantastic in your face rock and roll!

First off, I'm not sure if B&O has any pre-RCA, indie, or self-released titles before this disc, but I had a strong hunch Bullets was going to be good, and lo & behold, we have another winner!!!

Now, I had never heard of these guys before, but that all changed about 2 weeks ago, when I received a 3-song sampler, and I was impressed, wanting to hear more. I heard the whole album, and my feeling is that this band is strong throughout, a mixture of balls, brains and melody. I am NOT at all surprised that the disc was produced by Page Hamilton from Helmet; I hear a BIG Helmet influence here, but they are not clones, not at all. B&O seemed to take inspiration from Page & his boys, and run with it, making a sound all their own. Their sound is, like Helmet, a punk/metal hybrid, kinda close to Guns N Roses/Velvet Revolver actually...lead singer Gene Louis even sounds a bit like Scott Weiland at times, BUT unlike Helmet, these guys understand melody. I respect Helmet a lot but never found them to have many good, memorable TUNES...B&O have them in spades. Songwise, B&O's approach and style is kinda close to Bad Religion, and the band's attack is quite ballsy, raw and loud.

Somehow, this band is able to walk this tightrope quite delicately and with deft ability; with Page's assistance, a masterful job is accomplished...not unlike how Mutt Lange produced AC/DC's milestone "Back In Black", it will appeal to rockers as well as nerds, music critics, and eggheads such as Helmet fans, basically rock fans across the spectrum.

Oh yeah, all the songs on this record are killer, from the leadoff bulldozer "Goin' Blind", the single (I think) "My Disease", all 12 songs really. Oh, and the cover is one of the most striking covers I've seen on ANY record in quite a long time, in that it looks cool, that it makes a statement (the picture AND the title), and could have crossed the line into offensiveness but doesn't. It will capture people's attention and people will talk about it; I hope the same happens with the music of Bullets & Octane...great and cool band name too.

I feel honored to be the first reviewer of this major label debut record, as I feel they are on the verge of greatness. This disc is total proof of this. The reason why I didn't give this record 5 stars??? I think B&O will be putting out even BETTER records in the future.

Bullets And Octane may not be the most original band to come out this decade, but with "In The Mouth Of The Young" (the band's second album), there is a band on display who knows how to rock like the old school. It's rough around the edges, it's abrasive, loud and in your face. Together with Helmet mainman, Paige Hamilton, working as producer, these guys have no doubt delivered the effort to take them to the next level, or at least get a few heads turning.

Sounds Like: A happy medium between Papa Roach and Velvet Revolver.

The Good:
- The album breezes by, as each track flows into the next perfectly. It's an easy and fun listen.
- Hamilton's influence is evident, but luckily he doesn't go for the completely lo-fi sound he gave the latest Helmet CD.
- The musicianship is something to marvel at, somewhat resembling old-school Guns N' Roses.

The Bad:
- The vocals leave a bit to be desired at times. Frontman Gene Louis could use a little more range.

Hits: "Bathroom Floor," "Cancer California" and "Going Blind."

Future: Who knows. I mean, these guys deserve to get noticed, but it seems like any band who tries out a retro sound and does it justice gets ignored in favor of the kind of alternative/indie garbage that's been clogging the music scene for five years strong.

Personally: I'd love for this album to take off. These are the kinds of songs you wouldn't mind hearing on the radio or on TV a million times. There's something here every rock fan can appreciate. Whether you grew up on Motley Crue or Blink 182, you'll dig Bullets And Octane.

Best Listened To When: You're breast-feeding.

Don't let the sole bad review of this album on Amazon.com deter you from getting this album. This is, without question, one of the best hard rock albums I've had the privilege to purchase in quite some time, and Bullets and Octane are one of only a handful of great hard rock acts that are putting out material on a major label. While some critics liken this band to Buckcherry, and therefore cite them as unoriginal, the similarities to Buckcherry aren't strong at all. Rather, Bullets and Octane is much more reminiscient of the type of punk infused rockabilly played by Social Distortion. Better yet, it's kind of like Social Distortion on steroids...harder in every way, but with a lot of great melodies. If you are a fan of Social Distortion, you'll probably like this album. If you're a fan of Buckcherry, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, or other hard rock bands, you'll probably like this album. It is truly fantastic!

While none of the tracks strike me as filler, here are the highlights:

GOING BLIND: This track starts off the album with a fast pace and heavy riffs. Despite the heaviness of the track, listeners will immediately understand the great way B&O mixes their heaviness with some killer melodies and a lot of groove. This isn't the best track on the album, but it's a very strong opener. 9/10

MY DISEASE: This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Heavy, good riffs, and a great chorus that is very catchy. 10/10

SAVE ME SORROW: This track appeared on one of their pre-major label releases, and you can tell quicly why it was included on their major debut. It has a less heavy feel than the first two tracks, but it's still a great track! 9/10

CANCER CALIFORNIA: This is the track most reminiscient of Social Distortion, and it really has a great groove to it. Very cool track! 10/10

LAST MISTAKE: This is the most like Buckcherry of any of the tracks, in my opinion. That's not a bad thing for me...I really enjoy Buckcherry. A very good track, but not a highlight of the album. 8/10

BATHROOM FLOOR: I would call this the "ballad" of the album, though it defies categorization as a typical hard rock ballad. Slower, to be sure, but such a great melody, and no pining away for some unrequited love in the lyrics. 10/10

This album is killer! Buy it NOW! If you're looking for long epic tracks, you won't find them here. But if you like to-the-point, in your face, great rock n' roll, then Bullets and Octane have a great style that mixes a heaviness, great riffs, and fantastic melodies. They have a great ability to write fantastic riffs and choruses that really grab a listener. This is one of the best albums of the year!

It's been a long while since I've heard music that excited me. There are always songs that come and go, the songs you enjoy listening to on the radio, but it's been years since I've heard anything I NEEDED to listen to again and again. I saw Bullets and Octane open for Social Distortion a few months before the release of this album and was amazed by their live show. Since then, I had high hopes for this album and I'm pleased to say these guys did not let me down!

Song after song it get's better and better. The lyrics are insightful and beg you to question your surroundings, the intensity never lets up, and the musicianship has to be some of the best I've heard from any young band. These guys remind me of a time when bands played music to change music. I can only hope they wipe clean the emo-pop garbage kids now-a-days have been taught to believe is actually rock!! Thank God for Bullets and Octane...music needs you.

This is Rock and Roll!

Balls to the wall, "turn it down", testosterone fuelled Rock and Roll that couldn't be more masculine if it was wrestling down its own hog for an all-you-can-eat pork chop barn dance (or, for our British friends: sharing a towel flicking session with Kevin Keegan and Henry Cooper!)

Lashings of Motorhead, a huge slab of The Almighty style riffing, a dash of Guns n' Roses from when they were vital and Kelly Jones' rasping primal scream. In fact if you can imagine The Stereophonics with balls the size of prize winning bullocks and KJ with a fixation for red meat then you would get Bullets and Octane. They groove like Pantera or Scissorfight and are as palatable as man cooked barbecue food, and when I say man cooked I mean MAN cooked: you want steak with your blood?

One day a producer will come along and try and convince them to mellow their sound and record something like... Hmm... Handbags and Gladrags, and where The Stereophonics sucked that male appendage-head almost dry, Bullets and Octane would grease him up and hunt him down Ted Nugent style. They are a band you cannot play quietly and are as vital an injection into Rock and Roll as the White Stripes were into Blues.

This is Rock and Roll, not Nu or Rock or Metal and it just got vital again.

its high energy, rapid fire, kick you in the face rock. the opening track had me sold. Ok, so its not the deepest intelectual album ever written, but if your looking for good ol fashioned weight-room adrenaline this is it. It does slow about half way through, but finishes out strong. Loosely drawn from the same vein as Offspring's Smash.

Okay. I have a little confession for everyone. I'm not a long-time fan of the band... hell, I only heard about them a couple of days before Family Values Tour rolled into Washington D.C. because I was offered a ticket to see one of my all-time favorite bands, Dir en grey. And actually, the members of Dir en grey are best friends with Bullets and Octane so I was willing to give them a listen, although I was doubtful of 3/4ths of the bands at FVT, given that their headliners were KoRn and Deftones. Which I dislike both of them, except for the fact that Jonathan Davis actually recognized true talent with Dir en grey and invited them on. Anyway. I was disillusioned already at the horrible performance of Walls of Jericho and was contemplating leaving the Pavillion until Dir en grey hit the stage until I heard the opening riffs of "Save Me Sorrow." And I sat straight up in my seat in awe. They were fantastic. They sounded so together and professional, yet so raw and intense. I fell in love instantly. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet them that day (because I spent the money to meet Dir en grey) but they stuck in my mind. My boyfriend then bought me the album and I fell in love with every song on the album. They're raw, gritty, yet melodic and polished. You know that they have been playing together for a while with the sync they have together. I'm not going to sit here and detail critique the album for you... because that'll ruin the greatness of it. But take it from someone who tends to be a music elitist and turns her nose up at many bands and artists... and is a classical musician herself... if I sat straight up in my seat and wanted to buy their album instantly, they're definitely worth a listen at least.

I first heard this band when they performed on the Family Values Tour (with KoRn and Stone sour). I was blown away. I went out the next day and bought this CD. I love it. It is a great piece of rock music that gets usual rotation on my Gigabeat (I'm listening to "I Aint Your Savior" right now actually). My top 5 tracks are:
1. Mine Now
2. I Aint Your Savior
3. Save Me Sorrow
4. Going Blind
5. Cancer California
But there are no bad tracks. If I could only suggest 1 CD this year, this would be it (but thankfully I can suggest as many as I want: "Come What(ever) May" - Stone Sour, "One-X" - Three Days Grace, "Phobia" - Breaking Benjamin)hahaha! Bye...