Receiving a volume of Bulldozer CD's for review, it seemed fitting to start with IX or 9 (9th circle of hell being the deepest) because the sticker called it the "controversial" 3rd release. On this CD Italy's Bulldozer have a musical style that bridges thrash and speed metal with satanic (lesser than before) and perverse/pornographic lyrics rounding the whole thing off. More interestingly are the black metal stylings that decorate most of the songs; namely, the frequent use of tremolo picking littered in amongst some of the tunes. Pretty damn impressive considering this was recorded on 1987! Listening to "Rob Klister" brings images of Akercocke meeting Venom in some dark alleyway-- Truly on of the best songs on the entire disc with its wild, yet controlled abandon. There is also a Motorhead influence that you can hear in the song structures and delivery. "The Derby" comes to mind in this regard, but the crucial difference is the amazing solo work of guitarist Andy Panigada. He lets go of some inspired string-work in this song and many of the others. The more I listened to this cd, the more I waited in anticipation of what he would do next. You can't always say that about the "Old-School" releases, if you get my drift… What I find really amazing about IX is the amount of energy that the recording sustains and never really let's go of. In this regard and maybe some of their choruses ("Ilona The Very Best"), they are almost like a punk band; raging and singing about what they believe in whether you agree with it or not. It should be mentioned, drummer Rob Cabrini must be commended for propelling this music with such authority and panache. The guy is very decorative considering how hard he smacks those heads around! It's really hard to believe that this was not well received considering how thrilling the whole thing is. Everyone in the band is playing their asses off and the songs truly kill. I understand that the band may have not been the most original in their humble beginnings, but they developed rather nicely in the later half of their career. Hey, did I mention you are even treated to some pornographic pictures in the lyric booklet? Go get it!
Track Listing
1. IX
2. Desert!
3. Ilona The Very Best
4. Misogynists
5. Heaven's Jail
6. Rob "Klister
7. The Derby
8. No-Way
9. The Vision Never Fades
10. The Derby (AC Wild +Labyrinth)*Bonus song
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