“We are Bulldozer, we are fucking Italian, and we are back!” — that’s how the devil’s missionaries from Italy declared their return. We were expecting a fiery, unapologetic comeback, but apparently someone exorcised the demon out of Alberto Contini. “Enough with the satanic rampage,” they must’ve said, strapped him to a bed, and called in Father Priest to purify his soul. The long-awaited comeback album from Bulldozer, Unexpected Fate, finally descended upon Earth in July 2009. Or perhaps the Devil himself rejected it and tossed it out of Hell.
Tracklist:
Unexpected Fate
Aces of Blasphemy
Salvation for Sale
Use Your Brain
Micro VIP
Bastards
Buried Alive by Trash
The Counter-Crusade
The Prediction
In the Name
We’re looking at a 36-minute album—standard length for a Bulldozer release. The opening track, Unexpected Fate, is one of the few head-ripping songs here. It kicks off with a short but impactful solo layered over operatic effects, followed by head-smashing drums that do justice to the slogan “We are Bulldozer,” and Contini’s demonic howl. Raw speed riffs, catchy vocal lines—it’s a strong, fast, pounding track. Aces of Blasphemy reminds me of old-school German thrash with its ferocious pace. Contini’s savage vocals are matched by chaotic backing screams. Salvation for Sale leans strangely into a hardcore/crossover vibe but retains its speed identity. Lyrically, it strikes hard: “We don’t need you to wash away our sins.” Use Your Brain and Micro VIP showcase decent drums and vocals, but their overly melodic riffs and solos fall flat—tracks that feel undercooked.
The album’s first half doesn’t sound much like Bulldozer—it’s overly melodic and lacks grit. The second half, however, shows more promise starting with Bastards. It’s not fast, but with its primitive riffs, sharp vocals, and solid drumming, it salvages the mood. Buried Alive by Trash is a technically ambitious track. Its riffs, solos, and backing vocals that echo Contini’s lead bring to mind the Bay Area scene. The Counter-Crusade is my personal favorite—it’s pure Bulldozer! Relentless drums, chaotic and sinful blackened speed riffs, a dark melodic guitar line, and Contini seemingly duetting with the devil. It even features a killer bass solo courtesy of Billy Sheehan. The Prediction acts like an intro to In the Name, with a funeral-like atmosphere heavily carried by church organ tones. In the Name itself reaches The Day of Wrath levels—it’s the Bulldozer we’ve missed. Slow-paced, ritualistic, like a satanic mass inside a chapel. Probably the only song on this record that truly captures the Bulldozer ideology.
In conclusion, had this album been released by some unknown band from Italy or South America, we’d be praising it as a classy, high-quality record. But for Bulldozer—a pioneering force in old-school black and speed metal, a band that once worshipped Venom and Motörhead—this is average at best. It simply doesn’t meet expectations. If you're looking for a pumping, modern-sounding record that gets your adrenaline going, then yes, this might be for you. But if you're seeking that satanic, dark, raw Bulldozer from the old days—which is what you should be looking for, in my opinion—you won’t find it here. This is an album stripped of its black metal roots, lacking true speed riffs, and made by a Bulldozer that seems to have broken its pact with the devil.