One of the busier people in Euro metal, Mat Sinner (real name: Mattias Lasch) is somehow able to squeeze out a Primal Fear record every two years, and a Sinner album when Primal Fear is on break. On top of that, the German is a producer, manager, and one-time A&R representative for Nuclear Blast. He makes Metallica look like a bunch of geriatric wieners. Can’t argue with German efficiency, right?
At any rate, One Bullet Left is a tremendous leap from 2009’s near-laughableCrash and Burn, with Sinner (the band) crawling back to its European metal-on-AC/DC sound with rather predictable, but enjoyable results. Lead single “Back On Track” is a slick number, with an even smoother chorus, as Sinner (the man) belting out an instant AOR-ready chorus. The more up-tempo and full-throttle “Give & Take” (love the twin-guitar harmonies) is a winner, as is “Atomic Playboys,” a song
that is better than its sophomoric title would suggest.
The album is a little too long for its own good, with a handful of tracks here (especially the very lame “Wake Me When I’m Sober”) deserving omission altogether. Yet, the snappy “Mind Over Matter” (cue AC/DC) and titillating ballad “Haunted” are proof that Sinner (the man and band) still have enough good ideas to fill up an album. Granted, the only people taking a lunge at an album like One Bullet Left is the Euro metal crowd, but they’re quite used to Sinner’s (the man’s) impressive ability to put out a new product every year. Does the man ever sleep?
(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)