Bullet for My Valentine Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Bullet for My Valentine hits the ground running and maintains a blistering pace throughout most of Scream Aim Fire, not even slowing down for "Hearts Burst Into Fire," the first of two love songs featured on the album. It's definitely harder and more aggressive than the band's debut album, The Poison, which had a sound evenly divided between emo and metal. For Scream Aim Fire, Bullet for My Valentine leans more toward the latter and sounds increasingly self-assured and solid for it. That's not to say that the group has switched genres or completely changed their approach -- Scream Aim Fire isn't an album from a band in transition, but a band in the process of evolving. Having found a formula that works, Bullet for My Valentine expands it and incorporates different influences. (The guitar solos in "Waking the Demon" are comparable to those on Avenged Sevenfold's City of Evil, while Matt Tuck's vocals on "Deliver Us from Evil" bear enough resemblance to Gerard Way that they induce a double take.) But thanks to Scream Aim Fire's pacing, it can be difficult to appreciate the band's growth. The songs breeze by at the beginning, slow down for two or three tracks in the middle, then pick up abruptly toward the end. A more even distribution between fast and slow songs would have done the album a world of good. Fortunately, Bullet for My Valentine ends the album effort with "Forever and Always," an arena-ready power ballad whose unwavering midtempo beat is steadying after the frenetic songs that precede it. Its concert-closer feel isn't coincidence -- not only does the song bring Scream Aim Fire to a satisfying conclusion; it also begs for an encore. ~ Katherine Fulton, All Music Guide
'Hand of Blood: Live at Brixton'
Release Date 10/20/2006
Tracks 5
Label Sony BMG
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Bullet for My Valentine hails from the same stomping grounds in South Wales as peers Funeral for a Friend, thus sparking comparisons between the Welsh acts that go further than a fondness for dark, morose band names. It's hard to deny a certain likeness to their Funeral friends throughout The Poison -- check out the dynamics of "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow" -- but the difference lies with BFMV's songs falling much closer to the metal side of things, chugging harder through emotional lyrics than their melodic counterparts. For fans of Alexisonfire and Atreyu, they employ the glossy, melodic metal-meets-emo aesthetic, utilizing darkly romanticized lyrics that are smoothly sung and growled side-by-side. Bullet for My Valentine's self-proclaimed love of powerful riffs and classic metal is dotted all over their full-length debut ("Room 409," "Spit You Out"), though it begins with a deceivingly tranquil instrumental intro that leads directly into the metalcore realms of "Her Voice Resides." This song is one of many that, despite its rigorous execution, can't hide the fact that the guys are really softies at heart ("my heart is bursting through my chest/ and now I'm crying, the tears are pouring off my face"). Overall, The Poison is a well-produced, solid effort -- but seeing as they're now trying to take over American hearts, it would be nice to see future attempts to distinguish themselves more from the new-school pack. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
