Killed By The Bull

The Princess Rides The Bull Into Holy Hell (Koi)
by Dan Bernal

The follow-up to Killed By The Bull‘s ’05 debut again explodes from the first note with an epic stampede that reins in some of the loose fringe of their first outing, while finding slightly more pop accessibility. Writer/frontman/guitarist Justin Fullam sticks to fairly consistent, gritty, cleanish guitar tones born of equal parts Pete Townshend and Sonic Youth. Fullam’s vocal delivery is notably tighter than their debut, drawing less attention to delivery and more to the melodic and lyrical strength of the tunes. Still building off foundations that conjure the spirit of early Bad Religion, Descendents, and Lemonheads punkish pop tunes, this record boasts a refined sense of production without sacrificing the raw energy of their debut. With only six tunes barreling past on the juggernaut of Bill McVeigh’s exacting rhythmic onslaught, The Princess Rides… is over fast, and still feels like the output of a growing band. With much refined musicality, more tightly-honed songs, and greater attention to production, they’ve already come a long way in the year since their debut, and are obviously just getting started.
(www.koirecords.com)