Bullets and Octane – In the Mouth of the Young

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t enamored with Bullets and Octane’s previous release, Revelry, but after seeing them open for Avenged Sevenfold, my interest was sparked and I looked forward to hearing In the Mouth of the Young. Obviously, Revelry was better than I had originally thought because Bullets and Octane was picked up by RCA/BMG, who released In the Mouth of the Young.

Bullets and Octane are a straight up rock and roll band that doesn’t strive for genre categorization, nor do they appear to be just another “scene” band. These guys sound real. The aggressiveness heard on In the Mouth of the Young parallels that of old-school rock and roll a la Van Halen, just with more grit and more anger. Gene Louis’ vocals are raw and scratchy, yet powerful and fitting for what Bullets and Octane are doing. Quick drumming, grinding guitars and an in-your-face delivery are all components of In the Mouth of the Young.

“Save Me Sorrow” is an energetic radio-worthy track, and so is “Caving In,” yet it’s a little too lewd to be embraced my mainstream radio. Other tracks like “Going Blind,” “Signed in Alcohol” and “I Ain’t Your Savior” are full of energy and balls out rock.

What makes Bullets and Octane so appealing is they actually sound a little sloppy, which is nice because the album sounds more like their live show would. After all, rock and roll was meant to be sloppy and Bullets and Octane pull it off well. I give In the Mouth of the Young an 9 (out of 10). Watch out for Bullets and Octane in an arena near you soon!

Suggested Listening: “Cancer California,” “Save Me Sorrow” and “I Ain’t Your Savior”

By Adam Karol – Senior Editor / Founder