Customer Reviews

Poison

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

When referring to this British four piece, the phrase "the next big thing" has been tossed around more than a hot potato. Of course, Bullet For My Valentine wouldn't have so much potential if metalcore weren't the fad right now. But there is a disadvantage to metalcore being so popular: there is a lot of competition. Because there are so many other metalcore bands, nothing on "The Poison" is 100% new or innovative (even the singing-screaming choruses grow old after a while.) Fortunately, BFMV have a few characteristics (like guitar solos) that help them stand out from other bands, like Killswitch Engage.

After the first track (a brief, soft instrumental which is appropriately titled "Intro" and features Apocalyptica's cellos), "Her Voice Resides" blows the gates wide open, with super heavy yelling and fiery, chugging riffs. "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" is backed by a pounding rhythm with fast double bass drumming, and some cleanly sung vocals. "Tears Don't Fall" is partially melodic and restrained (it begins with soft strumming), but it also has a couple of breakneck tempo changes (where the song catapults into machine gun riffing). The last two tracks worth mentioning are "Hit The Floor" and "Room 409." The former track has scorching guitar work and an almost thunderous beat, and the latter has big, chunky riffs. But both of these songs are still somewhat melodic, because they both have a catchy "Woah-oh-oh" sing along.

Metalcore has kind of been run into the ground, so it can be hard, sometimes, to discern which bands are for real and which bands are just imitators. It's definitely nothing we haven't heard before, but "The Poison" is still an above average metalcore record. It's not great, but it's even further from being bad.

I can't recommend it to everybody, because it depends on how much you like metalcore, but if you like metal (smokin' riffs and pounding drums) streaked with melody (clean singing and occasional acoustic guitars), this is for you. And metalcore diehards will definitely want to check this out, and probably own it. Casual fans, however, should probably skip it.

Bullet for my Valentine basically take emo/hardcore elements, and serve them up with a healthy dose of thrash and melodic death metal, to create a sound that is definitely a cut above the rest. Sure, frontman Matt Tuck can get a little emo-ish at times, but he's also a good screamer, and the band is always quick with a blazing riff, a scorching solo, an Iron Maiden-ish melody, or a blistering double bass attack. I'd say this album is really more metal than anything, so if you've always wanted a bit more metal in this type of music, then you're likely to find plenty of enjoyment here. These guys are great musicians, who really know how to rock hard. Best song is "The End", a 7-minute epic that alternates between dark, haunting melodies, and powerful climactic riffs. The rest are in the 3-4 minute range, and a bit more straight-forward, but still full of interesting dynamics. It never gets boring for a second.

Overall, this album really took me by surprise. Not quite amazing, but when you consider how awful a lot of these kinds of bands are, these guys are really something special. Recommended to fans of Thrice and Alexisonfire, as well as fans of Shadows Fall and In Flames, or just to anyone who enjoys well-played heavy music with plentiful melody.

First off, I'm an 80's metal guy. I love bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, Dio, Megadeth. And for years, it's been difficult for me to get into any new metal bands...until now! What an amazing band. Finally, you have a band that has the makings of a great modern day metal band, yet their music still firmly reflects their 80's roots. I love this album. If you love your metal with pounding riffs, killer solos, and a whole lot of attitude, buy this cd. This is the best British rock band to come onto the scene in years.

This cd is like taking a little Trivium, Killswitch Engage, and 36 Crazyfists and swirling it all together and out comes "THE POISON". (Yes it is that good) Why aren't these guys household names? They are hands down better than the majority of the garbage "metal-core" bands out there. Songs such as "Suffocating under words of sorrow" and "Tears don't fall" are prime examples of this bands ability. Matt Tuck has awesome vocals and writes some damn good tunes! The rest of the band oozes with power and dominance. Every tune on this cd is amazing and hard hitting. Watch out Trivium you now have some competetion. Get this cd and don't listen to any negative reviews you may here about this band, they are still stuck in the past! Bullet for my valetine = \m/\m/

I was never a fan of music that had screaming and for the longest time I though BFMV was just another screaming band. I can remember the first time I heard "Tears Don't Fall" and thinking, "Omigosh this is the greatest song ever!" Then I remember hearing "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow" and thought, "No... THIS is the greatest song ever!" Then again with "4 Words (To Choke Upon)." Let's just get right to the point here... BFMV is INCREDIBLE! There are like 3 songs that I will not listen to on "The Poison," but the majority of them are amazing. The music is perfect. The screaming is perfect. The lyrics are perfect. But I think the main reason why BFMV receives positive attention is the crispness and clarity of all of their songs. Every note, every riff, everything is organized perfectly and each song flows beautifully. Even if you're not a huge fan of screaming music, BFMV is different. Their songs have meaning and it's hard to deny that these guys from Wales have serious raw talent and "The Poison" is dripping with said talent. I only started listening to BFMV about six months ago, but it's easy to say that they are my favorite band. "Scream Aim Fire," their second studio album, however, does not keep the bar set high for BFMV. I feel that whenever I listen to "Scream Aim Fire" the crispness that I love so much in "The Poison" just isn't there. It's as though they spent way less time producing their second album than their first. I recommend that EVERYONE (doesn't matter what age you are or your musical tastes) rushes out and buys this album. It's flawless. Five stars.

Standout Tracks:
Her Voice Resides 10/10
4 Words (To Choke Upon) 10/10
Tears Don't Fall 10/10
Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow 10/10
Hit the Floor 9/10
All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me) 7/10
Room 409 9/10
The Poison 7/10
Cries in Vain 10/10
My Fist, Your Mouth, Her Scars (Bonus Track) 10/10

I also highly recommend several songs from BFMV's self-titled LP. Either buy the album or simply download these couple songs. They really are worth it.

Turn to Despair (possibly one of their best songs ever) 10/10
Hand of Blood 10/10
Just Another Star 9/10

This group is truly gifted and knows how to lay down riffs and melodies. I play guitar and can pretty much relate to a lot of the stuff they play. Its a great album and definitely worth the buy. This album is between metal and mainstream. The hardcore metal fans will most likely be disappointed do to the fact theres no one yelling and barking through out the whole track as to where you cant understand what he's trying to say. This album is what metal should be in terms of singing....incoherent garble just doesn't do a song justice.

After listening to this album I'll hook you guys up with a review. These guys really aren't the best metal musicians becuase of really simple guitar riffs. Even though they are simple they have a catchy tune and good song writing. Matt Tuck (lead singer) should sing most songs in their future beucause the other singer just gets annoying with his screams in the backround. I don't listen to most new metal bands but this band really has talent. I would rank them above any metal band that came out in the 2000's. This album really doesn't have a bad track except for "her voice resides". Hope you guys like my drunk review and give me a good rating. Buy or download this album!!!

I have to agree with other reviews that they do the old school metal well. They do it without being cheesy or annoying. There is enough screaming vocals to make to keep it from seeming old. Although, the singing is quite good too. Every song holds its own and I could listen to them over and over. Two songs, "All These Things I Hate" and "The End" start off slower but they went to the Pantera school of power ballads ("This Love", etc.) and kick it in the ass through out the song. Over all, a great listen. Buy it.

This is the metal I've been looking for. Speed and aggression WITH technical ability and good song-crafting. On top of that, the guy can actually sing (when he chooses to--he likes to do the Pantera/Hatebreed vocal-cord, shredding-screaming-thing, which I don't get personally). Cool riffs and some cool soloing (but not much).

For me, The Poison draws on those elements that were best in 80s speed-metal while still having a contemporary sound. I don't give out five stars lightly but this is the best new disc I've gotten in quite some time.

Highly recommended.

I'm a fairley new bullet fan, and so far they have not dissapointed at all. This album contains some of the most awesome, powerful, heavy, and overall truelly epic tracks ever created! "Her Voice Resides", "4 Words", and "Spit You Out" are easilly the best tracks on the album(in my opinion). Any metal and/or screamo fan should'nt pass this up at all!