On their debut CD, the aptly titled Chronicles of Love & Hate, Virginia based metal band Bullistic have created a twelve song smack down of no nonsense, angst driven songs; all lovingly wrapped in some of the tastiest Sabbath and C.O.C. style guitar riffs seen this side of hell. The quartet consists of Doug Gibson on vocals, Craig Lague on bass, Shane Kellis on drums and Ed Savoy on guitar, who also handled the production duties as well. The album at times sounds lyrically like it could be a soundtrack to documenting the aftermath of a failed relationship. If you know the feeling all to well of what it's like to be burned or scorned in life, then you'll have no problem relating to the messages, it's all beautifully bleak, honest and most importantly, always in your face.
The band gets your attention right off the bat with the hard driving opener "Now & Forever", and you get your first chance to hear Savoy's excellent guitar chops for the first time as he lets a loose with a blistering solo. The tempo slows down a bit for the second number "Discarded Soul", which is really a showcase for Gibson's powerful and emotive vocals. Actually Gibson alternates throughout the album between clean vocals, like he does on this song, and a rougher, growling hardcore style. "Eulogy" starts off slow and haunting, sounding like it wouldn't have sounded out of place on Alice in Chains' Sap EP, before picking up the pace rhythmically and going somewhere completely different for the last half of the track. The whole band is absolutely stellar on this disc; check out what they did with the cover of the old Stealers Wheel song "Stuck in The Middle with You". They heavied it up beyond any expectations and the song sounds really fresh on this new, updated version. A lot of credit goes to Savoy who harnessed the true sound of this beast in the studio, not to mention his guitar work is fantastic. He has killer chops and his tone is excellent, his playing instantly drew comparisons to Zack Wylde and Pepper Keenan just for the sheer heaviness of the riffs. For the most part his solos are short bursts of brilliance and I was hoping he would really stretch one out and let one rip for a few minutes, but that's as far as my complaints go as this CD is a solid as they come. Get yourself a copy of this one as soon as possible because I think Bullistic is about to take off in a big way.
Track Listing
1) Now & Forever
2) Discarded Soul
3) Made of Stone
4) Eulogy
5) Doomsday Coming
6) Brand New Existence
7) Stuck in The Middle
8) Ignorance & Innocence
9) Tired of You
10) The Darker Side of Me
11) Good Luck With That
12) Ignorance & Innocence (extended version)
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