Tonight’s Special? ‘A Bullet to Bite,’ Courtesy of Secret Menu
Sit down, order something off of the… Secret Menu: a four-course alt-rock band based out of Wisconsin. Each of their tracks has a unique and different taste, so you’re bound to find something delicious in their discography. Their latest single “Bullet to Bite” shows the band is moving with intention and not slowing down anytime soon.
Composed of Raf (Lead Vocalist and Bassist), Andrew Montoya (Lead Guitarist and Vocalist), Matthew Herro (Keys, Guitar, and Vocalist), and last but not least, Evan Yoakum (Drummer and Vocalist), Secret Menu crafts harmonies that make every bite of their sound delicious. A rock band where all four male members sing is a rare find, clearly one of the best kept secrets on their menu. Releasing their first single in 2023, the band has put out 7 singles and an EP since.
Photo: Secret Menu
Graphic by Emma Ransom / Crave Music Magazine
“It’s not a happy song. It’s towing the line between anarchy, anger, and an outcry.” Raf says of their newest single, “Bullet to Bite”. A gut-punch of an Independence Day release, the band knew what they were doing and did it loudly.
“We want our dictator dead. Swing low, off with his head. What’s that you’re raising my rent? Fuck me. Fuck my consent,” Montoya sings in the first verse. Is it subtle? Absolutely not, and it was intended that way. This track knocks the wind out of you — classic Americana grit served with cut-to-the-chase transparency.
The band didn’t want to write another love song, it didn’t feel right. Montoya explains, “At the end of the day it's art, it's not a call to action… we're purposefully expanding on those frustrations to convey that compositionally, and make a statement.” You can feel in every note of the track, what the band’s intention was with this single. No better way to convey the weight of societal tension than amplify it, to be a voice that is loud and unapologetic.
From the first riff you can hear the guitars aren’t just plugged in…they’re screaming with frustration. Dual guitar lines battle each other, one cranking gritty power chords and the other weaving in blues tinged-bends. In the break, they lock into a volley of staccato chugs making the listener feel the tension in their chest. That tension is deliberate and engineered, a display of true rock craftsmanship.
Let’s be clear: “Bullet to Bite” is not sugar coating or trying to appease. The first verse kicks in with “we want our dictator dead,” a line the band went back and forth about due to the hostility and possible implications. Instead of holding back they chose to scream it and emphasize the last word of the phrase, a daring statement to make on the 4th of July. Subtlety now out the window, this was also the same day that Trump’s “big beautiful bill” went live. Bassist-vocalist Raf shrugged it off, “I’m not concerned about the explicit political intensity…it’s standing up for the shared frustrations in our country right now.” And that is exactly the story this song is telling: a societal outcry wrapped in meticulous composition.
The rhythmic backbone keeps everything taut, leaving no room to breath, no room to rest. Insistent highhats tick, snares slap with urgency, and the bass booms with resolve. A groove manufactured to keep your heart racing. Montoya delivers expressive vocals with rock gravitas. Shifting from snarling verses into belting chorus’, the natural rasp and weary tone carried throughout reinforces the rawness of the track. The band has truly created a piece of art that is cinematic, theatrical… and barring its teeth.
Every lyric, every note, every beat, the song is marching forward. The band doesn’t claim to be protest singers, but they are good at expressing shared frustration. Reminiscent of 90’s angst, you can hear the track has a snarl, a sneer, elevated by gritty guitars and pounding drums. “We're the Secret Menu, you don't really know what you're gonna get, so expect the unexpected,” quips Montoya when asked about what’s coming next.
“Bullet to Bite” is a sonic molotov cocktail served with a fat middle finger. A mirror reflecting anger, anarchy and catharsis. Not afraid to make a statement, Secret Menu is committed to composing music that is authentic. They’ve mastered bringing collaborative creativity to life with calculated chord progressions and nostalgic guitar tone. The more you listen, the hungrier you’ll get. If they’re serving bullets on the menu tonight, are you taking a bite?
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