Review: Bullet – Kickstarter
Steamhammer / SPV (January 9th, 2026)
Reviewer – Grant Foster
I took this album with just two days until the release date.
Oh I do like a challenge! 😆
Bullet hail from Sweden and have been in existence since 2001.
I viewed the promo videos for the title track and ‘Keep Rollin’‘ and it’s evident these guys are seriously from the old school approach, with nods to Accept, AC/DC, Airbourne, Judas Priest, Hardbone etc.
Nowt wrong with that though, eh lads?!
First up, let’s address the elephant in the room.
Singer Dag ‘Hell’ Hofer has one of those voices you’ll either love or hate. It’s a cross between a lot of Udo Dirkschneider, a little latter day Brian Johnson and a filthy old tramp on a 100 a day Woodbines.
On my copy, Dag’s voice is cleverly placed in the mix, which helps the impact. Personally, I don’t have a problem with it. Bullet would sound as weak as piss with a Coverdale style singer at the helm.
High octane are words that spring readily to mind when describing the music on offer here.
There’s a shit ton of neck benders on offer – ‘Kickstarter‘ – ideal track to open proceedings, ‘Caught In The Action‘, ‘Open Fire‘, ‘Hit The Road‘, ‘Chained By Metal‘ (Now there’s a title!), ‘Avenger‘ etc.
What Bullet have learned though, is the art of dynamics and pacing.
They show on the likes of ‘Keep Rolling‘, ‘Spitfire‘ and particularly in ‘Night Falls Down‘ that although there’s nothing wrong with the one dimension attack, when you open up your colour palette, there’s a greater depth on offer.
Some might call it more melodic, or tuneful, but it provides a broader brushstroke so to speak.
(Fuck me, what’s with all the art references?!) 😂
Well, if it was good enough for AC/DC on the Highway To Hell album…..it’s straddling that fine line between raw and structured and melody.
There’s no doubting these lads are a road band. This album has been entirely built for getting out on the road and I’ve no doubt that any of these tunes could be slotted into the live set and the punters would be happy as an alcoholic with a free bar.
Their biography supplied tales of a tortured tour bus that has its ass hanging out (engine recently exploded) and how it’s had more comebacks than Liberace.
I bet these guys are happiest in the land of the tour bus stink, beer and whisky bottles and the twilight hours that touring is all about.
Sonically, the production is spot on for this kind of rock. Guitars are full and to the fore, bass and drums thump hard and it’s beautifully balanced.
Dag, Hampus, Freddie, Gustav and Gustav, (Two Gustav’s in the band and not one of them has a stupid nickname to differentiate from the other?! Come on!) are the carriers of the thumping rock, the fist throwers, the headbangers, the rivet heads, the earth dogs and the denim and leather brigade.
I hope they play southern Spain.
I’d love to be in amongst it when it all kicks off.
Tracklisting:
- Kickstarter
- Caught In The Action
- Open Fire
- Keep Rolling
- Hit The Road
- Avenger
- Chained By Metal
- Spitfire
- Full Throttle
- Strike At Night
- Night Falls Down
Line-Up:
Dag “Hell” Hofer (vocals)
Hampus Klang (guitar)
Freddie Johansson (guitar)
Gustav Hector (bass)
Gustav Hjortsjö (drums)
