Bullet for My Valentine--Scream, Aim, Fire: Review

Tracklist
1. Scream, Aim, Fire
2. Eye of the Storm
3. Hearts Burst Into Fire
4. Waking the Demon
5. Disappear
6. Deliver Us From Evil
7. Take it Out on Me
8. Say Goodbye
9. End of Days
10. Last to Know
11. Forever and Always





The UK(native) metallers are back with their second full length album in Scream, Aim, Fire. At the risk of spoiling this review in the beginning itself, I'll say that they scream, they aim, but they don't exactly fire(this doesn't mean it's not good though). One thing that deserves credit is that the overall tempo of this album is faster than their previous effort in The Poison(2005), which was way too screamo and syrupy at times. Now I know that The Poison was a relatively successful album and also had a couple of Top 20 singles in the US Rock charts, but I still wasn't impressed. Anyway, let's get on with reviewing the product at hand..

The album opener and title track is as good as Metalcore gets these days. Thrashy and fast paced riffing with double bass fills..this one has got it all; the perfect choice for opening the album. The rest of the album follows the tried and tested Metalcore formula for most of it's length; savage riffing for some parts, crunchy breakdowns and melodic choruses. The album also contains a ballad in Say Goodbye, which is almost hair/glam metal sounding. The song is good, that I have to admit; I'm not so sure about its repeat/recall value though. These are perhaps the only two outstanding tracks on the album, and the rest, as I've said, follow the same Metalcore formula which countless bands have been following since circa 2000-2001. Some bands like Killswitch Engage, As I lay Dying, Trivium and All That Remains(I might have missed a few, please don't scoff) manage to stand out while the others get lost in the crowd. In my opinion, Bullet For My Valentine, clearly belong in the latter group. I say this not because I think they are not talented, no, I say this because neither do they have a distinct sound nor do they have extraordinary music to their credit. This is where the likes of Killswitch Engage or Lamb of God have scored over the others, even Trivium to a lesser extent.

To sum up, if you're a sucker for above average Metalcore, then you'll most probably like this. It has everything you can ask for in a satisfying Metalcore album. Thrashy riffs, melodic breakdowns, plenty of hooks, double bass frenzy and soulful/melodic singing in some parts. It all boils down to your specific tastes actually; lovers of the Avenged Sevenfold, All That Remains kind of sound will lap this up immediately, and there's no reason not to. For people who like their Metal the old school way, there's always the new Warbringer CD.

Rating: 7.5/10