Bullet For My Valentine has been one of my favorite bands ever since I heard The Poison’s “Tears Don’t Fall.” Fever also ranks among my favorite albums, one of the ones that I play in its entirety rather than skipping from song to song because everything fits together so well. The band formed in 1998 and have sold more than 3 million albums worldwide, including three gold albums. Bullet For My Valentine’s seventh album, the self-titled Bullet For My Valentine, comes out November 5, 2021. I approached it with high expectations and was not disappointed.
“Parasite” is the first track and it’s a fun glimpse back at several of Bullet For My Valentine’s prior hits while managing to be something new and original that takes the listener completely surprise around a minute and a half in. Make no mistake, this is the heaviest album they have ever done, while also not losing sight of their roots. “Parasite” couldn’t make that any clearer, immediately setting the tone for everything that is to come.
“Knives” has the familiar energy and catchy chorus of prior hits while managing to bring a new depth to their sound with deeper, darker riffs and a delightful breakdown just before the three-minute mark.
“My Reverie,” is the third song on the album. The emotions are not just heard but felt in the lyrics and Matt’s always poignant vocals. I found myself pausing what I was doing to just stand and listen to this one the first time, not even typing as the song played.
“No Happy Ever After” takes the listener by surprise with a tempo change from the prior track but in the best way possible. This is one I could see some killer mosh pits to if they choose to play it live. It would be a ton of fun! As the song played, dozens of books and movies ran through my mind that this would fit perfectly. It was so easy to resonate with the emotions and the intent of this song.
“Can’t Escape The Waves” hits hard right from the start. The mostly instrumental beginning is really cool and builds up to the lyrics for nearly a minute, tying perfectly into the theme of the song. The guitar riff rises and falls, reminding one of the waves the song is all about, hitting heavy around the two-minute mark and almost feeling like being pulled under yourself.
“Bastards” will certainly get the crowd chanting if played live. It’s catchy and lively with an underlying chaotic energy that radiates the vibes of being surrounded by music and fellow fans. This is one of my top three tracks from the album.
“Rainbow Veins” starts softly and builds up, adding new layers gradually over the course of the first minute or so. It captivates the listener with its subtlety, making one hold on to each word and take in its meaning as the song progresses. It’s clear that a lot of self-reflection and difficult pasts went into the writing of it.
“Shatter” is a restful song, giving pause from the heaviness of the album for nearly the first minute before it really kicks in and builds up to something incredible. I would rank “Shatter” among the heaviest songs Bullet For My Valentine has ever done, and among my top three from the Bullet For My Valentine album. Parts of this song reminded me of one of Joey Jordison’s (Rest in Peace) bands, Scar the Martyr and their self-titled debut album, another of my favorites.
“Paralysed” would also rank among Bullet For My Valentine’s heaviest, adding in elements that are unmistakably theirs with a certain gruffness I would attribute to bands like Battlecross more than previous works from Bullet For My Valentine. Somehow, it works beautifully. This could be a really good single from the album because it excellently blends their past and roots with their future, never losing sight of their identity.
“Death By a Thousand Cuts” is the last song on Bullet For My Valentine. It’s emotionally charged and hard-hitting, closing out the album as it started, heavy and fun.
I didn’t set out to write a review of each song when I started this album review, having already listened to Bullet For My Valentine twice all the way through before fingers touched keyboard. However, I let the album play while I was writing and each song captured my attention and focus in such a way that it felt wrong to leave anything out.
I hope that you will give Bullet For My Valentine a chance and enjoy it as much as I have and know I will for years to come. This is definitely an album that won’t disappoint fans of any of the band’s prior works but there is plenty for new fans to discover as well. If you like a mixture of heavy, fun, emotionally charged and somehow relaxing despite that, this is the album for you.
I’m Music Magazine Writer/Photographer Jojo Key
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