Bolt-Action - Lockdown
Rock, Punk Rock, Metal
California, United States
Overall Impression: Drenched in that iconic punk attitude and bursting with a staggering amount of intensity across the board, Bolt-Action's "Lockdown" is a fast, unapologetic, and emotion-filled onslaught of brutal guitars, snarling vocals, and lyrical bite. Written and recorded in the height of the pandemic, "Lockdown" acts as a potent comment on the shared frustration and anxiety I'm sure most of us all shared during that time and considering the lead singer's rather frightening ordeal that saw him kicked out of ICU shortly after undergoing major surgery and not knowing if he was going to see the other side, this is a fantastic way to funnel and concentrate all that emotion and makes for a brutally honest track.
Strongest Point(s): The intensity of this track is brilliantly hard-hitting and does a great job of grabbing the listener from start, refusing to let them go until the very end. This level of ferocity and energy is quintessential punk, and when combined with the bombastic nature of the performances, the result is a marvelous assault on the senses. The vocals have that certain snarl and anger to them that really leaps out at you, and the lyrics themselves reflect that brilliantly. Every performer is really giving their all here, and the musicianship on display is excellent, the rhythm guitars are hard-hitting, the lead work is blisteringly accomplished, and the bass and drums do a fantastic job of keeping everything together, this is clearly a band that loves what they do and believes in what they do, and it shows. The mix has a certain grittiness to it that works very well for this style of song, it would be easy to over overproduce a punk track such as this, but that tends to defeat the point and can also diminish a song's sense of character, "Bolt-Action" clearly know this and have opted for a mix that is still clean enough to show off all the songs various ideas, yet dirty enough to keep within that hard punk aesthetic.
Target Audience Appeal: Punk rock lovers will certainly have a great time with "Lockdown"
Artist target suggestions: Misfits, Pennywise, Bad Brains, Black Flag, Rancid, Suicidal Tendencies, NOFX, Minor Threat, Guttermouth, Face To Face, Bad Religion, The Filthy Radicals, Dragged In, Meat Jelly
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About the Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.