Unique selling points are easy to find when it comes to Swedish act Bullet. The most remarkable feature of the five-piece surrounding vocalist Hell Hofer and guitarist Hampus Klang is obvious: Bullet combine classic and contemporary heavy metal arrangements with the true values of their genre and a passion that is hard to find elsewhere. “There aren’t many bands these days that have what should be obvious: a wall of Marshalls, long hair, an old tour bus, and who play 100% live without using backing tracks or stuff like that,” explains Hampus Klang, together with Hofer not only one of the group’s creative minds but, also one of its founder members. And what better way to present the one and only true rock’n’roll philosophy than a live album?
Because when it comes to that decisive spark which never fails to turn metal fans into Bullet enthusiasts, all that Klang, Hofer, Alexander Lyrbo (guitar), Gustav Hector (bass) and Gustav Hjortsjö (drums) need to do is enter the stage and really let rip. That’s when the band ignites that inferno which has wrecked countless clubs, halls and festival stages – musically speaking, of course. To document how the band’s wild shows sound – recorded for posterity –, their first live release will be out soon under the succinct title Live. The reasons for this straightforward moniker are obvious: Bullet don’t require spectacular marketing concepts, they impress with their sheer talent. “Bullet Live” will be available on Steamhammer/SPV from 5 July 2019 as a 2-CD Digipak, double vinyl album, and for digital download.
“For so many years people have asked us to do a live album, and now after six full-length studio releases we felt the time was right,” Hampus Klang explains why “Bullet Live” is released now, adding: “The main part was recorded in Germany. It’s a mixture of three gigs from our 2017 “Storm Of Blades” tour and the “Dust to Gold“ tour in 2018. Both were filled with headbanging maniacs who thirsted for heavy metal and a good time. We also used recording devices in the crowd to capture the true heavy metal experience of a live Bullet show.” The album was recorded by Bullet’s live technician Dennis Åhman and Arne Lakenmacher (Annihilator, Doro, Axel Rudi Pell). It was mixed by Mankan Sedenberg (Crucified Barbara, The Flower Kings) at the Pama Studios in Torsås, Sweden, and mastered by Maxe Axelsson (Karmakanic, among others).
Anybody who’s heard their studio albums is familiar with the breakneck pace and energy of their songs. On “Bullet Live,” these strengths are fuelled by additional adrenalin and have been condensed into a best-of mix of their most memorable moments. The result is a double album featuring 18 Bullet songs that leave nothing to be desired. Klang: “Bullet Live consists of 18 original numbers, no covers. It´s a mix of all our previous tracks since the first minialbum in 2003. These are our live favourites from the many years on the road, including five songs from our most recent album “Dust To Gold,” which really satisfied both us and the fans.”
Are there any significant differences between the studio recordings and the new stage versions of the songs from the musicians’ point of view? “We’ve played many of the songs countless times, which has given the material new life and new energy. Because we’ve toured so much, we have developed great communication skills on stage. This allows us to experiment with band presentations and awesome jam sessions. When we play live on a big stage, the raw energy makes the sound heavier and wilder. So yes, the songs are faster, harder and longer!” Anybody who needs proof to corroborate Klang’s claims only needs to listen to “Bullet Live“ or see for themselves from May 2019!
Read our review here.
