StarVox isn't the kind of site that rates CDs with little stars, or headbanging leather-armored metalheads, or even animated flame gifs. We also don't include little informative boxes to sum up CDs in terms of "good songs", "bad songs", or "bottom line". I'm glad we don't, because that's often a flashy approach that fails to properly present a CD. But I was listening to Bullethole, and thinking - we've heard this heavy nu-metalish crap often enough to know that the guitars are downtuned, the riffs interchangeable, and the singing senseless screams about pain and suffering, or how we're gonna get our asses kicked. So with that in mind, let's shake up the format to spare you some reading time.

1) Various Scales of Rating
First, out of 5 stars, Bullethole gets none. They also get no headbanging leather-armored metalheads. But they do get some animated flame gifs. I'll let you speculate as to why.

2) Informative Non-Box-Like Box of Information
The good: There's an instrumental at the end - I appreciate the lack of aimless screaming.
The bad: Everything else.
Saving grace: the CD is 32 minutes. That makes it relatively quick and painles--...er, quick.

Retail price: $12
Eric's suggested price: I got the CD for free. And I'm still complaining.

3) Qualifying Remarks of Ass-Saving
Some of you are going to think I'm not giving the band a chance. So just to cover myself, let's be clear. If you really do like nu-metalish music with chugging riffs and nigh-hardcore screams of Irascible Raging, you should take the time listen to Bullethole samples. But even within its context of not-quite-nu-metal heavy thrashy grindy hardcoreish... stuff, there's little doubt that Incarceration is an unoriginal CD that does not live up to similarly heavy quality bands (think: The Haunted or Strapping Young Lad). Bullethole manages an occasional groove or headbanging riff, but for every decent bit of almost good metal, we face an army of unmemorable thumps and screeches.

4) Bottom Line
I'll be the first to admit that I'm biased against this style of music, especially when it's unoriginal. I think we've got enough already. The most positive thing I can say about the CD is 'Give it a chance if you like the style.' ...but avoid it if you like songs with variation, melodies, or any other sort of creativity.

Track List:
1) Twist The Knife
2) Incarceration
3) Nothing Will Remain
4) Broken Lies, Shattered Alibies
5) Thorn In Their Back
6) Drowned
7) Liar
8) Now I Know
9) Moment Of Hate
10) Molestias  

Bullethole is:
Costas - vocals
Andreas - guitar
Kiriakos - bass
Leyteris - drums

Black Lotus Records:
http://www.black-lotus-recs.com/

The End Records:
http://www.theendrecords.com/

07/12/03