Bullet For My Valentine - Temper Temper

Bullet For My Valentine

Temper Temper

by YngwieViking at 11 March 2013, 5:12 PM

This time I will oppose my thoughts with the majority of the reviewers, which already spread their venomous words all across the internet and elsewhere. I never thought that one day I’ll had to make an enthusiastic defending review for BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, as I’m way too old for being a Metalcore fan boy, and also and more seriously, because I never perceived their music as being remarkable or groundbreaking. In fact it’s more an epidemic reaction, a need to go against that blinded-mob, that one-mind-one-side-only wave saturated by unjustified indignation, but also mainly because I felt that “Temper ,Temper” is a good album and it seems to me that is not a worse album, not worse than “Scream Aim Fire” perhaps even better than “Fever”.

I feel the need to go to the war path because, it’s also quite evident for me, that it’s unfair to keep on butchering this platter, again over & over, it’s in fact the same injustice (and maybe the same morons), as those who 5 years ago were prolific in exalting & pushing BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE at the pinnacle of the Metal scene. Tracks as “Temper Temper”, “Dirty Little Secret”, or “Not Invincible” are of course very predictable but that’s what Metalcore is all about: Nothing more nothing less. It’s kind of strange to accuse those four guys from Wales to be what they used to be. I think the choice of “Riot” as first single was a disastrous decision and a big mistake, and this was the early error that sets once and for all the general opinion in the wrong sense. But, I think that the real changing has occurred into the audience: it’s, the now older, fan base that what have truly evolved: Not the music, it's still the same brand of juvenile unadulterated Metal than before. The gap is too deep to fill.

If you want a more mature modern Metal music, I can recommend you the brand new SOILWORK or the great 2012's ALL THAT REMAINS album “A War You Cannot Win” along with the last DEMON HUNTER disc named "True Defiance". The shift back gimmicks, the yet not very subtle trick-retro-moves, that had leads BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE to write the sequel for “Tears Don't Fall” could be perceived as a desperate manner to keep interest by the early disappointed fans, but in fact it’s just another fine song with a still coolest hell of a theme.

In the same category, the METALLICA's influenced number “Dead To The World” or  the NWOBHM sounding ”Saints & Sinners” are also among the tangible compositions, I fucking still don’t understand why the feedbacks are so bad. The special edition with 2 bonus tracks live at the B.B.C. such as the cover of AC/DC "Whole Lotta Rosie" will not help the band to convince the incredulous world, because it's an average to good rendition. Maybe controversy is a new way to sell (?), as my advocacy has now to lean against the grain, maybe I’m under manipulation, but I always enjoyed as until recently fighting for my truth, alone against the whole world.

The record company’s marketing department needs to improve and to do the job properly, indeed the way of promoting this band and "Temper Temper", will have to become much more convincing, because the opening song and its successor, later “P.O.W.” or “Livin’ Life (on the edge of a knife)” are quite interesting and deserves it , the music is well constructed with some good lead guitars, finally among their best songs ever composed and i think this album needs a little push. So this review, was my attempt to help it.

After the amazing AS I LAY DYING album last year, this is another proof that Heavy Metal revival, vintage roots, musical evolution and Metalcore, could live side by side and even melt together.