You know what you're getting with a Sinner record, and it's all the more rewarding when your expectations are exceeded, as mine were with his latest effort, One Bullet Left. Despite looking pretty much exactly the same as Crash & Burn from the outset, this is a much more cohesive record, with songs that won't quit, regardless of the style. As usual, this is a Power Metal meets Hard Rock collection with a nice set of tunes that unite both genres through catchy choruses, harmony guitars (this time handled by three axe men: Alex Scholpp, Christof Leim, and Alex Beyrodt), and of course, Mat's crusty yet soaring vocal, which is very smooth this time around.
There's no secret to this stuff, it's just enjoyable from start to finish. Opener "The One You Left Behind" is a classic, melody-laced stomper, while "Back On Trail" is a Sinner-does-Thin-Lizzy attempt that rolls around your head after a single listen. Elsewhere, "Give & Take" is a fun sing-along riot while "Haunted" and "Rolling Away" are serious, brooding numbers that sprout flourishing melodies. The production is nice and crisp, and with so much bullshit in the metal world, it's good to be able to rock out to something like this; it's about as honest as Sinner has ever been, and it deserves a wide audience.
