BulletBoys – From Out of the Skies
Release Date: March 23, 2018
So the question remains… does the world in 2018 really need a new Bulletboys album? Before I answer this question, let’s backtrack. Those first two Bulletboys albums (Bulletboys/Freakshow), in my opinion, are two of the best albums of the era. The Bulletboys were such a great fucking band that kind of had this Van Halen influence but it was the voice of Marq Torien that really set them apart and gave them such a distinct sound. You either loved them or hated them and I fucking loved them. After the band’s third albums Zaza, I lost interest in the band and the band split up.
Over the years, while the name Bulletboys hasn’t changed, the band has seen a revolving door of musicians with singer/songwriter Marq Torien being the only remaining member. Fast forward to 2018. The Bulletboys have released a new album called From Out of the Skies. It’s such a dramatic shift in sound; kind of like when Van Halen went all wussy keyboard lovey songs with Sammy Hagar. It’s just that in this case, this “Nu BulletBoys” is so drastically different that I just can’t find a connection to it. While I appreciate a band growing over time, it’s just hard to hear a band like the BulletBoys sound so drastically different. They had a formula and Marq tweaked it. Maybe by losing Mick Sweda the rest of the original lineup has something to do with it but then again, maybe that’s why they bailed.
Musically and creatively I was surprised at songs such as “Hi-Fi Dive By” and “Losing End.” The reason I dug these songs is because Bulletboys were never known for being a ballad band and I loved hearing this more mellow side of Marq. The dude’s voice is unbelievably great after all these years and he sounds so full of soul but again, for the most part, it just sounds like a Marq Torien solo album which, in my opinion, is a huge difference from what I would expect from Bulletboys.
When I think of Bulletboys I think of “THC Groove”, “F#9”, “Freakshow” but yet on this release songs like “D-Evil”, “Sucker Punch”, and “Whacha Don’t” I hear an older 80’s generation rocker striving to be the Foo Fighters. Don’t get me wrong, the album is definitely not unlistenable but when I want to listen to the BulletBoys this would be the last album I would go for. As a matter of fact, as soon as I get done with this review I’m popping in Freakshow so I can be reminded of the BulletBoys that I remember and love.
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