Metal Underground.com

The overly-anticipated new album from Bullet For My Valentine is finally here and I have spent several hours listening in order to finally write a decent review. I, as many of you, was a big fan of their debut, “The Poison,” and was extremely curious to how their sound would change. Hearing a few interviews from Matt Tuck, who basically explained the album was going to be a bit more metal throughout, I sort of had this idea in my head that they would actually be more brutal. On a few listens, I realized that they were putting themselves closer to that point, but it just really isn’t quite there yet.

I will get to the good points of the album. First off, great opening track, no more intro shit from the first album. I am not a big fan of intros, and if you buy an album, you want to listen to songs, not bullshit one-minute interludes. So thank god, right from the start, the album kicks ass. The track “Scream, Aim, Fire” shows off this new thrashy kind of sound I think they were missing from the first album. The thrashy-ness continues throughout the songs “Eye of the Storm,” “Waking The Demon,” “Disappear,” and “End of Days.” The tracks probe much deeper and feel much more sophisticated than a lot of the debut material. They definitely stopped with the whiny relationship bullshit, so that is a big plus. As far as band direction, the band has hit a different sound without losing much creativity from their debut. The choruses are all catchy and I even bought in on the third track, a slow 80’s-feel riff and standard 80’s acoustic-then-electric sound. In about one listen, I was singing along. The album, as a whole, is clean, tight, and soundly produced; as good as the first.

But as some fans might say, it isn’t better than their debut--just a standard, thrashier release from their usual sound. I can understand why. A lot of the tracks have sort of the same repetitious sound in them, and if you don’t listen carefully, a lot of them will make you think that you’ve already heard this track earlier on. But that is definitely the small lack of creativity when experimenting with this heavier sound. It all follows the same rules: single guitar starts off main riff, and then the whole band comes in. Besides this fact, they also make you feel like they didn’t try as hard as on their first album. Maybe it’s because I expected them to be more unique. They certainly attempt to create some of the magic of the first album. You will hear some licks and hooks on several tracks that will make you think that this song will get better and better. But that is how you should feel; it isn’t as unique and although I am thrilled that they are heavier in several songs, they also have a lot of weak songs that barely say something, like “Say Goodnight."

I think they’re in the right direction, but that they do have a lot to work on for their third album. Maybe it’s the pressure from the label or from earlier success that draws them to make such nonsense songs that exist on “Scream, Aim, Fire.” It is a solid album, and many of the previous fans will enjoy it. I still blast it in my car going to work, and that’s gotta say something.

And no, I do not buy the Rocky 4 cover. It isn’t metal, so I will not buy into it!