Surely, it’s time for Bullets And Octane to make a comeback? They were touted as “Next Big Things” back in 2006 on the strength of their (excellent) second album ‘In The Mouth Of The Young,’ but any hopes of arena stardom were derailed when they got dropped by RCA. Fast forward a decade and chances are most rock fans will have forgotten them, but they’ve been quietly releasing albums on minor labels all this time and despite some significant line-up changes, never really went away. They had the spotlight taken off them is all.
And despite the appalling title, ‘Riot Riot Rock ‘n’ Roll’ is a good place to re-join them. Its ten tracks of sleazy, good time party music and while it’s no outright classic, is a carefree and enjoyable romp. They’ve barely developed since their glory days but that’s part of the appeal; no pretension, no difficult subjects, just 35 minutes in the company of guys covered in tattoos singing about spilled whiskey and good times.
Admittedly, some of it is a bit cheesy and it’s hard not to cringe a little when listening to ‘Give Me A Reason,’ a song that brags about turning up to rehab while hammered. There are occasions where they come across like a group of men in their 40s who are still desperately trying to live out their teenage Guns ‘N’ Roses fantasies, but there’s also a wealth of catchy choruses and memorable melodies to carry them through. The fact they’re completely unapologetic about their lifestyle choices helps as well.
Songs like the opening title track are so infectiously optimistic you can’t help but have fun. Want to ignore all the social isolation advice and dance on top of a cop car in the middle of a riot? Here’s the soundtrack. ‘Ain’t Gonna Be Your Dog’ and ‘As The Bombs Fall’ marry Sunset Strip debauchery with the optimistic pop-hooks of SoCal punk while ‘Rooftop Tears’ hints at a greater maturity but never commits to it.
Not all of it works; ‘Addicted To The Outrage’ is completely mindless and they’re crying out for a barnstorming ‘Paradise City’ level epic, but for the most part this album is a right laugh. Not big, certainly not clever, but if you want four guys wearing precisely angled trilbies to sing about parties and drugs, this is way more enjoyable than it has any right to be. Bullets And Octane have been slogging away in the underground for years, stubbornly refusing to grow up and this is the dirtiest, sleaziest record that’s likely to cross our desk during the pandemic. Never change boys.
- ‘Riot, Riot, Rock ‘N’ Roll’ is released on 24 April. You can get your copy HERE.
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