Pop Music Reviews : Bulletboys Sometimes Off the Mark at Palace Concert

Bulletboys--with its debut album bulleting up the charts--is the baby of producer Ted Templeman, who also helped mold Van Halen. Like its predecessor, this band specializes in tight musicianship and features a brazen, show-bizzy singer in Marq Torien. Unfortunately--as evidenced by Thursday night’s Palace show--the band doesn’t always share Van Halen’s hooky songwriting or provide a consistent level of entertainment.

Many of the band’s songs have that generic hard-rock sound--heavy rhythms, fancy guitars and forgettable melodies. Occasionally, there were sparks Thursday: a hip-grinding shuffle called “Owed to Joe,” and the deliciously spicy lyrics of “Smooth Up in Ya” gave the band something to strut.

And strut it did. Torien jumped, bumped and grinded for the sold-out crowd. Guitarist Mick Sweda, bassist Lonnie Vencent and drummer Jimmy D-Anda provide high-profile backup flash. However, there were also times when the foursome resembled nothing more than a highly polished Sunset Strip-style band.

Bulletboys’ sound and image fit neatly into the current wave of hard rock. But it needs to smooth up some of the rough edges if it wants to continue shooting upwards.