Bullet Treatment

Ex-Breathers

Basement Records

Street: 04.30

Bullet Treatment = The Bronx + Minor Threat + Kill Your Idols

For some bands, a rotating cast of musicians is not their most notable aspect, but rather a necessary extension of the transitioning musical nature of the principal member. For instance, Death ceased to exist because Death was Chuck Schuldiner. While Chuck Dietrich holds a similar position in Bullet Treatment, the output is straight-up hardcore punk, which, as a style, is minimally affected by lineup changes. It’s a shame, because taken on its merits, Ex-Breathers is a perfectly serviceable hardcore punk record. However, the music is consistently overshadowed by the modus operandi of the band, i.e., a new lineup for each release, sometimes even between songs on an album. That certainly holds interesting possibilities, (see Designated Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 which contain the exact same song sung by a rotating cast of vocalists), but this leaves Bullet Treatment in a bind because, without those artistic forays, they’re playing straight-up hardcore punk. It’s a lean, mean, hardcore record, nothing more, nothing less. –Peter Fryer