Bullet for my Valentine - ‘The Poison' (Visible Noise) Released 03/10/05

Bullet for my Valentine are one of the UK’s most talked about bands and with their first full-length album release, they’re attempting to show us all what some of the hype is about. In these times of US dominated Metal, BFMV have given us an album which goes some way to re-dressing the balance, even if it does mean copying our American cousins somewhat…..

Kicking off with an a brooding atmospheric intro ‘Her Voice Resides’ is a rollicking roller-coaster affair clearly indicating the bands main influences – Pantera and Megadeth! Crunching guitars are the order of the day with a precision and maturity that is truly awe inspiring!

If you’re a fan of speedy choppy riffs, you could do a lot worse than Bullet for my Valentine. The drumming in particular is impressive with complicated time and feel changes – Vinnie Paul obviously had a huge influence. Vocally, the album is pretty weak. The singer has adopted a very US style of doubling vocal tracks and it makes it sound saccharine and weak. When he decides to go for an Anselmo like roar, the result is less than impressive – reminiscent of  a pre-pubescent teenager whining about his lack of girlfriend.

Despite the poor vocals, there are some strong melodies and the musicianship is strong throughout, particularly ‘Tear Don’t Fall’ which should be a heavily requested number at rock clubs throughout the country. Of note is the reappearance guitar solos – very Megadeth! However, they are well constructed and used sparingly, they enhance all the songs on which they appear and are a good showcase for the lead players shredding ability.

Overall, ‘The Poison’ is a good record, and without the questionable Americanised vocals, could have been a great record. That said, I think this will be a breakthrough record for Bullet for my Valentine and more power to them. Lets hope we see some other UK bands following in their footsteps and make this Island the hotbed of Metal once again.