I must confess; I don�t venture out of my own music genre much. I haven�t listened to anything other than Trustkill, Solidstate, or Metal Blade bands in the past few months. So when Bullet Train to Vegas landed in my To-Do bin, I said, �OK, I�ll get around to doing that, but first I�m going to listen to The Chariot 380,234 more times.�
Complacency is a killer. Procrastination is a drug. But now I�m clean so here you go: a review for Bullet Train to Vegas�s We Put Scissors Where our Mouths Are.
This CD came out spring of 2005 on Nitro Records (Offspring, AFI). Their sound has been classified by Outburn Magazine as �Frenzied Rock.� They also gave this CD an 8 out of 10 score. Which I would say is a fair description. But Robby doesn�t pay me zero dollars an hour to write 400 word essays just to agree with other reviews.
If I wanted to expand the description of this band, I would say they were �frenzied neo-hardcore with a progressive punk spirit.� Hope that made sense.
There is a definite heavy side to the band, though not in the contemporary sense. The focus of the album is much more on the treble side. And unlike most bands that don�t down tune guitars, Bullet Train to Vegas manages an intense song based on high notes. The guitar parts are unique in their full-bodied chords and jazzy chord structures. The bass guitar actually balances the lines, and sometimes takes some pretty nice solos. The band takes a rather unique approach to harmonization that hasn�t really been exercised by other bands lately. Or maybe it has and I haven�t realized it since I sheltered myself in metalcore bliss.
Another noteworthy trait is the vocals. I would say their singer Dan is like the North American variation of Dennis Lyxzen during his days in Refused. They have a somewhat similar way of melodically yelping, so to speak. So if you like Dennis Lyxzen, you might like Dan Sena.
Overall, the band�s sound is bright and cheerful, in a very chaotic, sinister way. Kind of like the Joker from Batman. Yeah, that�s it: if Bullet Train to Vegas was a fictional character, it would be the Joker.
So if you were looking for a slow depressing CD to lie around and mope to, not only did you look in the wrong place, you�re also a sad piece of crap. Bullet Train to Vegas is fast, frenzied, and forceful; something for all the belligerent straight edge kids as well as the belligerent drunken kids.
...
C.L. '05 |
