BULLET

PAUL BRETT's rock project SAGE was rebooted in 2014 with "Emergence", presumably because he wanted to get back into electric guitar and more of a band format, though finding the credits for some of these releases is nigh impossible. "Bullet" is basically a 3 track classic hard rock exercise with little prog to recommend it, but which is worthy in its own right.

The best is the title cut, with an immediate hook that is almost enough in itself, but gains urgency from there, even if the bullet appears metaphoric. My only trifle is it's a bit too short. "Blood in the City" follows on the theme of violence symbolic or otherwise and is an ode to 1970s melodic riff rock. The final track "Chaos" first appeared, as far as I am aware, on Brett's 1979 album "Eclipse", where, along with the only other vocal track, was woefully incongruous with the rest of that fine disk. This version appears to be lifted from that recording but fits much better with its kindred spirits.

The return of SAGE, as well as late collaboration with old friend GORDON GILTRAP and a wide ranging and informative interview with "It's Psychedelic Baby" magazine less than a year before his passing, tell the story of a man who came full circle and hit his targets more often than not.