Search - Bulletproof Messenger :: Crucial Line-Enhanced CD

One of the greatest unknown bands I've ever heard

Randy | 07/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Clearly Bulletproof Messenger aren't very well known to the music industry at large. They have a miniscule web presence, most reviews on here and iTunes state almost nothing about the band, and to date not a single person I have talked to knows who they are. I wouldn't know myself, if not for a large search on iTunes one night for something that was just a little out of the ordinary. It is my duty, then, to inform you about this group.

At first BPM might sound like your typical cookie-cutter rock band: heavy guitar riffs, basic steady-pace drum beat, a few electronic and synthetic effects thrown in for credibility. By the end of the CD you'll be thinking "hmm, this sounds like Linkin Park without the screaming or rapping." Essentially, that's exactly what it is. The electronics aren't just thrown in, though; they're incorporated into every single song to a high degree. You've got the DJ-scratching and hip-hop beats. You've got the triple-layered vocals. A fair number of songs make use of the piano, and there's plenty of background atmosphere synth to go around. All of this comes together to create a surprisingly deep and moody sound that will definitely remind you of Red and Linkin Park.



Then, of course, there's the rock aspect. There are no truly soft songs on here, and while many songs do break off to become soft and mellow for a short while, you've got an entire CD of heavy guitars and drums here. The distortion doesn't overpower the melody, however, and as a result you get a perfectly blended amount of hard rock and atmosphere. The singer's voice is particularly spectacular. He's perfectly capable of yelling, though stays away from the pure screaming found in many hard-rock bands. He can do soft and hard with no problems, and often switches back and forth multiple times (he might remind you of Benjamin Burnley from Breaking Benjamin). He also faux-raps in one song, and although it's not his best performance the song itself is surprisingly good.



Overall, Bulletproof Messenger put together a sound that, to me at least, is nothing short of amazing. True, there isn't a whole lot of variety - the rock-electronica theme never really changes, save for a short minute-long instrumental - but the formula that is there is put together with quite a bit of polish and ingenuity. I would strongly urge anyone who is a fan of Red, Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin or other electronica-styled hard rock bands to give these guys a try, because they definitely need the exposure."

Awesome

john chuey | 07/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this album is the best one yet from the band. i've seen them live they rule, looking forward to seeing more from them"