Bullet For My Valentine

Bullet For My Valentine

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Genre: Metalcore.
Released: 05/11/2021
Via Spinefarm Records

Album Review: Bullet For My Valentine – Bullet For My Valentine

Bullet For My Valentine is quite the name when it comes to the metalcore scene and with that comes a lot of attention. The band have certainly had their ups and downs but despite everything, the band has quite the following leading up to the release of their new self titled record. Reception to the new material seems to be quite overwhelmingly positive from what I’ve seen so I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see what all the fuss is about. Here is my review of Bullet For My Valentines self titled album.

Kicking the album off is the fast-paced behemoth titled ‘Parasite’. Hard-hitting drumming accompanied by some of the most aggressive vocals I’ve heard to date on a Bullet song, ‘Parasite’ is a big step in the right direction for the polarising metalcore outfit and it’s probably one of their heaviest songs to date. Not wanting to slow down the pace, ‘Knives’ comes in following a similar heavy style that is littered with Bullets iconic harmonies. Matt Tucks cleans help to highlight his progression and really help to elevate his new, raspy guttural screams. It’s an extremely strong opening to the self-titled album.

Up next is ‘My Reverie’ which brings a nice melodic element to the record. The way the melody entwines with both the mellow and heavy parts of this track makes it quite unique and I couldn’t help wanting to go back and listen to this track again, while the track ‘No Happy Ever After’ comes across as quite a standard entry into Bullets discography. It’s not a bad song by any means however it does little to separate itself from the pack and just comes and goes without really making an impact.

Thankfully, ‘Can’t Escape The Waves’ adds a bit more oomph to the record. It’s certainly an unusual track in my opinion however, the style seems to suit Bullet well and this is a shining example of Bullets ability to create a decent song that isn’t all about how heavy it is. Tribal like drumming opens up the song ‘Bastards’ and this album has a little bit of everything. This song could quite easily be mistaken for a chant at times yet it somehow captures your attention and gets you hooked on every last word. This one certainly isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea however I think it’s worth a listen.

‘Rainbow Veins’ is up next and I have a feeling this one is going to be a fan favourite. The song can be quite psychedelic at times and you just can’t help but move to its extremely infectious groove. It isn’t your standard Bullet track but that doesn’t matter. For those of you who are eager for the heavy stuff on this album, ‘Shatter’ is certainly one you’ll want to check out. When this song kicks in, it really goes in hard. This song is going to have crowds losing their minds and pits will be a must when this track enters the airways.

Approaching the end of the album now and ‘Paralysed’ keeps the intensity high and quick. I can already see the circle pits that will break out when the drumming of this track is heard live. The song boasts a sing-along esc chorus that has become quite synonymous with Bullets music as of late and I cannot state enough just how much of a good time I had listening to this track. By far my top pick from this record! Finishing off the album is ‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’, another high impact track that manages to send the album off quite nicely. Mixing the extreme with the melodic, the track almost wraps everything that has come before it up into one hell of a track. A strong ending for an impressive album!

Overall, I think Bullet may have struck gold with this one. There is something for everyone on this record and the highs really outweigh the lows here. After the polarising response from the band’s previous album ‘Gravity’, I think this is exactly what the band needed and they have bounced back in convincing fashion. I cannot wait to hear these songs live and I’m eager to see how well this album goes down with old and new fans alike.