Review / 200 Words Or Less
Bayonet
Self Titled

Mightier Than Sword (2011) Jon E.

Bayonet – Self Titled cover artwork
Bayonet – Self Titled — Mightier Than Sword, 2011

Bayonet is a Jersey super group or sorts. taking members from such bands as Senses Fail, The Banner among others. In any situation like this it is hard to tell if the project is really a band in itself or merely something spat out for fun. One can hardly assume what this will sound like as each members prior (or main) project have at best only slight similarities to each other.

Bayonet was announced as a band and their record within a short period of each other so one may ask how does it really stack up? Pretty good in general is the answer. Here's how it works, take the heavier moments of Senses Fail, the metallic leanings of The Banner and boil it into an above average hardcore band.

The tempos abound and everything works well in general throughout the EP. The metallic lead in the opener "Nightmare" makes the mid paced part resonate while the next track "Who's gonna want me now" speeds by in under a minute. These bits and pieces coalesce throughout the EP making for a fun listen that carries alot of anger. The main complain is the inevitable bum out when Buddy starts to sing (or whine) in certain songs. This action does little to keep the feeling of the song.

Overall Bayonet have done something good. They have made an album that shows a proficiency for making fun heavy songs that spout anger. Luckily this band seems to be more than the sum of their parts.

7.2 / 10Jon E. • December 12, 2011

Bayonet – Self Titled cover artwork
Bayonet – Self Titled — Mightier Than Sword, 2011

Related news

Bayonet to release debut

Posted in Bands on June 8, 2011

Bayonet Debut Music

Posted in MP3s on August 3, 2009

Recently-posted album reviews

Various Artists

Her Head's On Fire/Arms Like Roses - Split
Double Helix (2025)

Her Head’s On Fire (NY, NY) and Arms Like Roses (New Haven, CT) team up on this split 7” with two new tracks (one each band) of post-hardcore tunes that are both massive and melodic in their own distinct ways. "Universal" is the track from Her Head’s On Fire. Recorded by the band’s guitarist Jeff Dean, "Universal" came from the … Read more

Dead Bars

All Dead Bars Go To Heaven
Iodine (2025)

Dead Bars has a unique talent of taking the everyday, the experiences you see and live all the time, and shining a new light on them to make them personal and interesting. I've written about it before, yet it's my job to say this again and to make it interesting. It's what Dead Bars does, so it only seems fitting … Read more

Painkiller

The Great God Pan
Tzadik (2025)

Painkiller, the trio of John Zorn, Bill Laswell, and Mick Harris shows no signs of slowing down. The Great God Pan is their third full-length, since their reunion in 2024, and in many ways it is an unexpected offering. In keeping with their interests in the metaphysical realm, Painkiller find inspiration from the famed Arthur Machen horror novella. Here, the … Read more