Bulletrain

Lore & Background

Bulletrain released their first EP, Johnny GoneBad, in 2007, produced by Klas Ideberg of Darkane. The EP led to local gigs opening for bands such as Crashdïet, Bullet and Crazy Lixx. In late 2009, they released a second EP, Turn It Up, also produced by Ideberg. That same year, bassist Tim Svalo left and was replaced by Emil Lundberg. In spring 2010, the band performed at the 'Rest In Sleaze' festival, which led to a minor Italian tour and an offer from producer Chris Laney to record a single.

On 16 July 2010, the band recorded 'Even with My Eyes Closed' and 'Take Me to the Sun' at Polar Studios in Stockholm, with Therion's bassist Nalle Pahlsson after Emil Lundberg departed the day before. The single attracted attention from Georg Siegl of Metal Heaven, but singer Robert Lindell left in 2011, stalling the project. Mike Palace briefly joined as vocalist, and Tim Svalo returned briefly as bassist, but both left. The remaining members—Jonas, Mattias, and Robin—persevered and began recording their debut album independently.

In summer 2013, they recruited vocalist Sebastian Sundberg and bassist Niklas Mansson. That winter, they worked with production duo RamPac in Stockholm, and Buster Odeholm mixed the material. In summer 2014, Georg Siegl agreed to release their debut album Start Talking on Metal Heaven. In winter 2015, they recorded their follow-up album What You Fear the Most in Riga, Latvia, with RamPac, mixed by Tobias Lindell and mastered by Vlado Meller.

Reader's Guide

Bulletrain's significance lies in their persistence through multiple lineup changes and setbacks to release two albums on Metal Heaven, a label specializing in hard rock and heavy metal. Their music, influenced by 1980s glam and sleaze metal bands, helped sustain the Swedish hard rock scene in the 2010s. The band's debut album Start Talking (2014) and its follow-up What You Fear the Most (2015) were produced by RamPac, known for work with Crashdïet, and mastered by Vlado Meller, who worked with major acts like Metallica and Slipknot. Their legacy is that of a resilient band that overcame the departure of founding members and vocalists to achieve a recording contract and international exposure through festivals and tours.

Did You Know?

• Bulletrain's first EP, Johnny GoneBad, was produced by Klas Ideberg of the band Darkane.
• Bassist Emil Lundberg left the day before the band recorded 'Even with My Eyes Closed' in 2010, so Therion's Nalle Pahlsson played bass on the track.
• The band's debut album Start Talking was released on Metal Heaven after label owner Georg Siegl offered them a second chance in 2014.
• Their second album What You Fear the Most was mastered by Vlado Meller, who has worked with Metallica and Slipknot.

Origins & Sonic DNA

Bulletrain was born in the suburbs of Helsingborg, Sweden, in 2006. Drummer Jonas Tillheden and guitarist Mattias Persson brought together singer Robert Lindell, bassist Tim Svalo, and rhythm guitarist Robin Bengtsson to form the quintet. From the outset, the band's sound was anchored in the heavy, riff-driven traditions of American hard rock and metal. Their stated influences—Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, Skid Row, and Pantera—signal a clear allegiance to the sleaze and groove metal lineage of the late 1980s and 1990s. This sonic blueprint was put to work almost immediately: in 2007, the group released their debut EP, Johnny GoneBad, produced by Klas Ideberg, a figure already known in the Helsingborg scene through his work with the metal band Darkane. The EP earned enough local buzz to land them opening slots for Crashdïet, Bullet, and Crazy Lixx, establishing Bulletrain as a credible live act in the southern Swedish rock circuit.

A Decade of Instability

Between 2009 and 2013, Bulletrain endured what can only be described as a gauntlet of departures and near-dissolutions. Bassist Tim Svalo exited in late 2009, replaced by Emil Lundberg. Then, in July 2010, just one day before the band recorded two tracks at Polar Studios in Stockholm, Lundberg departed as well, forcing them to call on Therion bassist Nalle Pahlsson to fill in. The single "Even with My Eyes Closed" drew attention from Metal Heaven's Georg Siegl, but the momentum evaporated when vocalist Robert Lindell left the group. The project stalled. Mike Palace from Stockholm briefly stepped in as singer, yet the distance between the cities made collaboration untenable. Svalo returned for a short stint before leaving again after Palace's exit. For a stretch, only Tillheden, Persson, and Bengtsson remained, and the band's very existence hung in the balance.

Rebuilding & the Debut Album

The three surviving members—Tillheden, Persson, and Bengtsson—refused to let the project die. They began recording their debut album on their own terms, a labor of persistence that spanned several difficult years. In the summer of 2013, they finally assembled a new front line: Sebastian Sundberg, a native of Växjö, took over vocals, while Niklas Mansson joined on bass. That winter, the band traveled back to Stockholm to work with the production duo RamPac—Johan Ramstrom and Patrik Magnusson—whose credits included Crashdïet's Generation Wild. Mixing duties fell to Buster Odeholm of Humanity's Last Breath. The finished product, the band reported, exceeded their expectations. In the summer of 2014, Georg Siegl of Metal Heaven, who had first noticed them years earlier, extended a second commercial opportunity, agreeing to release the debut album, Start Talking, on his label.

Production Pedigree & Later Work

Bulletrain's recordings are marked by a consistent commitment to high-caliber production. Their 2010 single sessions at Polar Studios in Stockholm featured Nalle Pahlsson on bass and yielded the tracks "Even with My Eyes Closed" and "Take Me to the Sun." The follow-up album, What You Fear the Most, was recorded in the winter of 2015 in Riga, Latvia, again with RamPac at the helm. The mixing was handled by Tobias Lindell, whose résumé includes work with Hardcore Superstar, Europe, and H.E.A.T, while mastering was entrusted to Vlado Meller, a name associated with Slipknot, Metallica, Michael Jackson, and Pink Floyd. Earlier, their 2009 EP Turn It Up had been produced by Klas Ideberg, and the band's live résumé includes a performance at the Rest In Sleaze festival in spring 2010, a tribute event honoring the late Crashdïet vocalist Dave Lepard, which subsequently opened the door to a minor Italian tour and a recording offer from producer Chris Laney.