Even at this advanced age, I am still wary of bands on major labels, as if that simple contract signing yanks away their street cred badges, or something. That old queasy feeling came rushing back when RCA dropped this ‘un in my lap, quite unceremoniously, without even a cheat-sheet. But as soon as opener “Going Blind” rumbled to life, I just knew we had an Orange County band on our hands, one that learned it’s licks from Social Distortion, and damned if that ain’t the case here. They attempt to drag the rebel-punk sound into the gutter here and there with fireball guitars and the occasional monkey howl from gravel-throated singer Gene Louis on the gritty “Cancer California” and the manic “Signed in Alcohol”, but are pretty much thwarted by the surgical precision production by Page Hamilton from pneumatic alt-metal dudes Helmet. Dunno why you’d choose that guy for a rough n’ ready punk band, except maybe he was expensive, and they suddenly had some dough to throw around. Needless sheen aside, Bullets and Octane score big on youthful energy and snarl, and will most likely have the kids at the next Warped tour fucking and fighting like mad rabbits in the mud.

Corporate rock still sucks, though. __________________________________________________

-Sleazegrinder