It’s hard to believe that just a few short years ago Bullet for my Valentine front man Matt Tuck was
working in a Virgin Megastore in Wales, imagining the days when his own CD
would be purchased across the counter with anticipation from adoring fans.
Fast-forward a few years and the dream has begun to come true. After
turning down a record deal from Roadrunner Records and instead opting to sign a
five-album deal with Song BMG, the band reveal their debut full-length album.
The Poison is a perfect
example of why everybody is raving about them and why they are the finest
British export in years.
Now this
being Bullet’s debut full – length album means that they needed
to make a lasting impression, they have done just that. The Poison is filled with pulse-pounding songs to make you
feel all kinds of things. Songs that have been purposely written and played to
make you feel you are a mixed bag of emotions.
The album kicks off with the out-standing ‘Intro’, as all the
instruments fade in, to form an almighty union of beautiful string music
performed with the rock legends themselves – Apocalyptica, the strings are
then blanketed under the sound of a sharp guitar, hitting high notes that could
pierce your ears if listened to loud enough.
After this, you would be forgiven if you had
prepared yourself for a softer side of metal, but sadly mistaken. As soon as ‘Intro’
ends we are greeted with the screams and shouts from the bottom of frontman
Matt Tuck’s lungs as the band join together to form a blistering mosh – fest of
music, this song is ‘Her Voice Resides’ – promoting a very angry, yet
passionate side to the band with the most intense of intense songs. With a
heavy riff and heated lyrics, this song will likely give you the inspiration to
pick up a guitar and get in touch with your creative (and dangerous) side.
If by now
you somehow haven’t had enough of head-banging, you will be greatly pleased as
you are forced to dive head first into an extraordinary guitar riff as the song
‘4 Words (to Choke Upon)’ begins and creates surges of adrenaline through your
body, guaranteed to become a metal anthem and already a fan favorite, this song
puts a big middle finger up to all the non-believers with the infectious lyric
of ‘Look at me now!’
Other songs
such as ‘Cries In Vain’ (also featured on the band’s mini album ‘Hand of Blood)
stand out with there dark, secret – revealing lyrics and catchy hooks, that
make you want to mosh until your head hurts.
We also see
a more emotional and personal side to the Welsh quartet, as we dig deep into
Tuck’s heart, for the revealing song ’10 years today’. This is a song about
Tuck’s despair over the tragic loss of his friend to suicide at just 15.
Ending an
album well is important. The song ‘The End’ is a creative song, with more highs
and lows than a roller coaster. A song with a love-hate feel to it, to the end
of a relationship gone wrong but a song that at moments you feel you can 100%
rock to.
Bullet show no signs of
letting up on this album. This music has been made to send you dizzy
with freshly inventive, and sensationally dazzling metal stomps on the face of
most other bands out there.
It is
obvious this album isn’t a metal masterpiece, but it’s a damn good start. If
this album verifies anything, it’s that Bullet
for my Valentine are band
to be taken seriously, a band to watch out for and most importantly, a band you
don’t want to ever underestimate.
Look out
metalheads! The future is here!
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Amy Parker
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