Bite The Bullet – Bite The Bullet [Rock Candy Remastered] 2019, MP3+FLAC

Some albums miss their moment simply because nobody gives them a fair shot. BITE THE BULLET’s self-titled debut is a textbook case. Released in 1989 through Jet Records, it had the songs, the polish and the hooks, but not the promotional muscle behind it. The result was a commercial shrug at the time and a collector’s headache later, as the original CD became increasingly difficult to track down.

Musically, this is classy AOR with its tie loosened just enough to rock. Mick Benton’s writing leans toward the smoother side of the genre, but there is enough guitar bite underneath the gloss to stop the record drifting into wallpaper territory. “Change Of Heart” is a near-perfect opener, all pulsing bass, crystal-clean guitars, glowing synths and a chorus big enough to light up an ’80s movie soundtrack. “Finished With Love” keeps that momentum going, carrying the kind of FM / DARE flavor that melodic rock fans tend to recognize within seconds.

“Edge Of The Rain” and “Cold Surprise” show the band at their most refined, built on elegant keyboard work and that unmistakable late-’80s atmosphere where everything sounds expensive without becoming sterile. “Running To Stand Still” brings a STRANGEWAYS-like melodic sweep, while “Dark Age” and “Watershed” add a little more steel to the frame with stronger guitars and a punchier delivery.

There is also a subtle Canadian sheen running through the album, something in the polished arrangements and carefully shaped choruses that recalls BOULEVARD and HONEYMOON SUITE as much as the British AOR names. That mix gives “Bite The Bullet” its own character: sleek, melodic and sophisticated, but never too soft around the edges.

The Rock Candy remaster is exactly the kind of rescue job this album needed. The sound is fuller, clearer and more balanced, giving the bass and guitars extra weight while preserving the airy production that made the original so appealing. No unnecessary surgery, just a sharper view of what was already there.

If your idea of great AOR involves immaculate melodies, clean guitars, glowing keyboards and choruses built for late-night highway drives, this one still hits the target. “Bite The Bullet” may have been overlooked in 1989, but time has been much kinder to it than the market ever was.

Country: US
Genre: AOR / Melodic Rock
Original release: 1989
Format: Remastered CD

01 Change Of Heart
02 Finished With Love
03 Edge Of The Rain
04 Faith Healing
05 Cold Surprise
06 Running To Stand Still
07 Dark Age
08 Playing At Love
09 Big Mountain
10 Sailors Song
11 Watershed

MP3 FLAC