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Southern California based Bullets and Octane and
its four musically gifted members serve up an unrelenting, combustible
hybrid of gritty, punk-influenced hard rock. While it may have you
singing along, make no mistake-- this is punch to the throat rock with
an in your face attitude. The band’s name says it all, it’s their
aggressive sound and high-energy style that resonates with their fervent
fans and ignites a trail of new ones wherever they go.
Singer Gene Louis and bassist Brent Clawson are longtime St. Louis
friends who’ve been playing together since they were kids. They moved to
Orange County, California and started a band with Gene playing drums.
Gene’s a drummer you ask? Yes. His father was a big band drummer and
Dixieland jazz star, and he’d been a music teacher in the Midwest where
he taught another legend, Dave Weckl. “As long as I can remember I was
playing Dixieland jazz on the road with my dad,” says Gene, who is named
after two of the world’s most influential drummer’s, Gene Krupa and
Louis Belson.
When their singer quit Gene knew it was either back to St. Louis or take
over the front-man position…and St. Louis was not an option. To replace
his role as drummer, Gene recruited long time St. Louis friend Ty Smith,
who at the time was playing with seminal punk rock acts Guttermouth and
The Vandals. Then came guitarist and fellow Missourian James Daniel who
they knew from years past. In 2004, Bullets and Octane released The
Revelry on the indie label Ares Records. Fans loved it, and it
complemented their live show with no-holds barred, anthemic verse-chorus
explosions.
In the Mouth of the Young, the band’s RCA debut, was produced by Page
Hamilton of Helmet fame and mixed by underground icon Ken Andrews of
Failure. Page and Ken were able to build upon Bullets and Octane’s
“leftfield” perspective and take it to new heights. Fiery and fearless,
In the Mouth of the Young boasts twelve hard hitting rock songs
loaded with grit and imperfect urgency. Even though the knobs have been
tightly tweaked to sonic perfection, the band’s performance reveals an
album that truly breathes.
It’s Bullets and Octane’s raw, intense live show that ropes in fans and
fellow musicians alike. Social Distortion’s Mike Ness was so impressed
with the band he extended what was originally two weeks of touring
together to six. After four weeks on the City Of Evil tour, Avenged
Sevenfold invited the band back out for the entire second leg and then
again as direct support in Europe. Eagles of Death Metal and Flogging
Molly are two more who have invited Bullets and Octane to join them on
the road.
Since the band’s first show New Year’s Eve 2000, they have been touring
relentlessly and creating the blistering, passionate, melodic hard rock
that’s endeared fans nationwide. It’s all rock’n’roll, and at its core
lives a big ol “fuck you” …never compromising and never taking no as an
answer. Bullets and Octane may or may not be your savior, but they’re
sure to wake you from your mediocre music scene induced coma.
Bio courtesy of
TotalAssault.com
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