Bullet For My Valentine-Fever

Last Updated (Wednesday, 07 July 2010 14:27) Written by Miguel Blardony Monday, 21 June 2010 17:22

Label: Jive Records

Genre: Melodic Pop Metal

Rating: 6.5/10

Comments: The lyrics are so sweet, they’ll give you diabetes.

England’s preeminent peddlers of cream puff melodic thrash are at it again, this time christening their album “Fever” (doesn’t Kylie Minogue also have a “Fever” album?) that features a naked lass with a claw arm on the cover. Hmmm...rather than contemplate the implied meaning of such artwork and squeezing a lame iota of humour out of it, why  not just get on with the review? Right-o.

“Fever” begins on a powerful note, with hammering martial drums signaling the curtain-rise for the spectacle Bullet For My Valentine has in store. “My Betrayal” has a suitable intro that fires our anticipation until singer-guitarist Matt Tuck launches his emotional diatribe about a failed relationship This is perhaps the weakest aspect of the song and it bedevils most of the album. What’s sad about Bullet For My Valentine is they’re stuck in a juvenile lyrical mindset, still preferring to moan about angst and heartache when intelligent narrative songwriting would be much preferred. As musicians though, the quartet may not be Dreamtheatre, but they got a good ear for melody and hooks. When the band set about grabbing you by the collar, why, they do so with a talent that speaks volumes of their potential. But be warned, if you’re still hoping Matt, Jason, and the two Michaels in the band will see the light and shift gears by playing proper prog-death or whatever, you’re deluded, mate. Bullet For My Valentine already have a formula and they’re gonna stick to it through thick and thin.

If the album opener was a good thing, then the band keep a good thing going for the title track and listening to the lyrics this time around makes you wonder if the pubescent foursome in their mid-20s are indeed fantasizing about Kylie Minogue. A lot more grit is featured on “The Last Fight” before the band ease the tempos at “A Place Where You belong.” It’s here that Bullet reach an all time low, caught with their pants down as they ejaculate the obligatory balladic filler down our sorry ears. A string of half assed numbers follow and it isn’t until “Dignity” that the gang get the message and deliver heavier fare. “Dignity” and “Begging For Mercy” showcase Bullet For My valentine at the height of their powers. Album closer “Pretty on the Outside” doesn’t. Final verdict: “Fever” is a passable release.