Just to let you all know, I will probably write a new blog every 4 to 7 days depending on what's happening. This will be the first of my CD reviews. For future reference, I will go through every song to give you the ups and downs of the records. Bullet For My Valentine is a 4-piece metal band from Wales consisting of vocalist/guitarist Matt Tuck, vocalist/bassist Jay James, guitarist Michael "Padge" Paget, and drummer Michael "Moose" Tomas. Their latest album Scream Aim Fire, the follow-up to their debut The Poison, was released back on January 29, 2008, in the US. The album opens up with the title track, "Scream Aim Fire", and immediately sets the pace of the record with heavy guitar riffs and amazing drumming along with amazing screams and melodies about war. The next track, "Eye of the Storm", opens with guitar playing reminiscent of old school Metallica and leads into a surprisingly melodic chorus with lyrics appearing to be about the end of the world. "Hearts Burst Into Fire" opens up with slow, clean guitar playing that leads into an incredible solo by Tuck which is then followed by an almost pop like verse that captivates with lyrics about being away from those you love. "Waking the Demon" opens up very heavy with screams in the verses and melodic singing in the choruses, very much like modern metalcore music. Another highlight to this song is the solo which recalls all of the tricks from 80's hair metal. The next track "Disappear", continues the heaviness of the record, though is not as captivating as the first four tracks. Following that track is "Deliver Us From Evil", which would not seem too far out of place on mainstream radio, with calm guitars which build up and vocals recalling mental breakdowns. "Take It Out On Me" brings the album back up to its original heaviness with thrashing guitars and almost endless double bass as well choruses with hooks that will trap you inside. Another note is the calm bridge with a calm solo which builds up along with the background music with none of the unnecessary flashy techniques, until the very end. The next track, "Say Goodnight", begins a calm simple ballad with two good solos, one at the beginning and one after the first chorus, which builds up with a heavy breakdown. The track is about saying goodbye to a loved who has passed and can be best described as thinking of an 80's power ballad. The following track "End of Days" is solid but disappointed me as it did not appear to be Bullet's best work on the album, although a highlight is its awesome solos. "Last To Know" combines equal screaming and melodies to put its point across with fast guitars and intense drumming as well as lyrics denouncing putting others down. The final track, "Forever and Always", is a decent track but i disagree with its placement on the album, as it brings the energy down almost too far from "Last To Know", but the track does recall the arena rock of years past, but the ending with over two minutes of the same section of the song kills the interest level in the song. Overall, Scream Aim Fire from Bullet for My Valentine is a decent album, I recommend you check it out.
Until next time
Horsman
