One Bullet Left

For almost a minute there it seemed as though veteran German metal icon Mat Sinner was finally slowing down with old age, content to focus on his bass-playing duties with Primal Fear and the odd guest spot or two with other bands. But wouldn't you know, the old geezer was simply dealing with a full-scale restaffing of his original, homonymous metallic vehicle, Sinner, prior to recording the franchise's 16th studio album (or something like that) in 2011's defiantly named One Bullet Left. Now armed with no less than three guitar players, including lone previous album survivor Christof Leim, reinstated former member Alex Beyrodt, and rookie Alex Scholpp (of the band Tarja), along with Rage drummer Andre Hilgers and Mat himself on vocals and bass, Sinner returned to action firing on all cylinders. But not because One Bullet Left packed that many more quality tunes than its very spotty predecessors, but because these songs touched on most phases of Sinner's lengthy career arc. For example: fans who hunger for the band's traditional '80s metal sound can sink their teeth into the album's harmony-laden title track, the token power ballad "Haunted," or the Thin Lizzy-indebted "Back on Trail"; those hankering for classic '90s power metal can drink a caffeine jolt from flaming juggernauts "The One You Left Behind" and "Suicide Mission"; and others looking to indulge in the 2000s best-of-both-worlds approach get their wish with the likes of "10 2 Death," "Give & Take," and "Mend to Be Broken." To top it all off, kitsch lyric lovers everywhere can giggle or weep to their hearts' content over monuments to cock rock poetry past like "Atomic Playboys" ("...we are radiation Romeos") and "Wake Me When I'm Sober," among other nonsensical gems. That's right, One Bullet Left will never make the Decibel Hall of Fame, nor will it reinvent the old trad/power metal handbook Mat Sinner began taking instruction from as a wee lad, but it proves the old man does indeed have a few more bullets — or at least this last one — stashed in his belt.