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Metalcore and its many subsidiaries are certainly polarizing genres, to say the least.
And I don't mean the general consensus when it comes to the genres under this label, I mean in terms of quality. Some metalcore bands line up with some of the best artists of the 21st Century, while others line up with some of the worst. For every fantastic group of artists like Bring Me The Horizon or Motionless In White, we've unfortunately had to deal with an absolutely atrocious act such as Atilla or Brokencyde.
Which brings me to arguably the biggest and greatest of the genre, Bullet For My Valentine, who first hit the scene in 2005 with their absolutely classic album The Poison, which has gone down as one of the staple metal records of the 2000's, and with excellent tracks like The End, Hit The Floor, and of course the certifiable classic Tears Don't Fall, one of my personal favorite songs of all time, it's pretty clear to see why.
And they followed it up with the incredibly solid duo of Scream Aim Fire in 2008 and Fever in 2010, which while not quite matching The Poison, were still fantastic metal records nonetheless, and produced quite their fair share of great songs.
But then came the album that nearly killed the band's reputation, 2013's massive misstep known as Temper Temper. A radio-friendly, mainstream hard rock album that the metalcore community completely shunned. Now, I personally didn't hate the album as much as others (I was more lukewarm towards it), but I completely understood the heavy fire it came under and personally, alongside the majority, consider it Bullet's weakest album by far.
So when Bullet announced a new album earlier this year and released the excellent, excellent, excellent leadoff single No Way Out, while simultaneously claiming it would be their heaviest release to date, I was stoked, with an excitement that only grew with each successive single.
You Want A Battle? (Here's A War), Army Of Noise, Worthless, all brilliant songs harkening back to Bullet's classic material while introducing a more traditional metal style with the heaviest guitars, drums, and screams of the band's career, and they were only previews of what the full album would hold.
So, when the album finally dropped, I was in full hype mode and came into it expecting one of the best albums of the year.
And is that what I got?
Well...
Venom by Bullet For My Valentine is a fantastic album and a massive improvement over the one that came prior, and it is filled with some amazing songs, and while on the whole it's not quite the utter masterpiece I came in expecting, it's still a fantastic metal record and an easy contender as one of the best albums of 2015.
That's not to say it doesn't have its flaws, so let's address those first.
I think my biggest problem with this album is the same problem that a lot of modern rock albums suffer from; there are many points where the album devolves into filler. It's not quite as filler-tastic as Temper Temper, but there are definitely several songs, specifically towards the middle and end of the album, that don't really stand out or grab my attention when compared to some of the other songs on the album. Tracks such as The Harder The Heart (The Harder It Breaks), Skin, and Playing God just seem less interesting and memorable than most of the album. None of these songs are really bad, just forgettable and, well, they do drag the album down a bit.
But that said, I don't really have any other major problems with this album.
Yes, aside from a few filler tracks that do distract just a little bit, there is almost not an element of this album I do not love. I'd dare say it's nearly if not completely on par with The Poison. Yeah, we're going there.
First and foremost, the general sound of this album. Matt Tuck said they were going for their heaviest and most powerful sound to date here on Venom, and by god, do they deliver. The guitars are heavy, fast-paced, and deliver some absolutely insane solos, specifically on tracks like Broken and Pariah, and the drumming is loud, pounding, and hard-hitting. And the vocals? I'm gonna say it: Matt's vocals are the best they've ever been on this album. They're aggressive, cathartic, loud, and powerful. In his singing, screaming, and growling throughout the record, he makes it all sound so incredibly easy, not like he's straining or stretching at all. His screaming alongside that of new bassist Jamie Mathias manages to be incredibly loud and sound absolutely righteously pissed-off without being ear-bleedingly obnoxious or whiny, which is a true sign of a good metalcore band.
For a good example of this, let's talk about the track Broken, one of the album's biggest highlights. It starts with some gut-punching drum work, and speedy guitar riffs from both Matt and guitarist Michael Paget, and proceeds to have some of the best instrumental work, screaming, and songwriting the band has pulled off in a long time.
This also shines through in the aforementioned singles, all of which were fantastic (seriously, great choice of singles here), and they make for some of the best stuff on this record. No Way Out (with the added atmosphere of the opening segue track simply titled V), Army Of Noise, Worthless, and You Want A Battle? (Here's A War) is just a four-piece face punch of pure heavy metal awesomeness, and serve as an amazing opener to the album.
The chanting opening and chorus of You Want A Battle? (Here's A War) is one of the most memorable parts of the album, and would make for an epic part of a live performance (seriously, just imagine a whole massive mosh pit chanting that opening in unison... god, that sounds amazing.).
This album also has moments of real emotion, points of hopelessness and betrayal (both of which are strong themes throughout all of BFMV's discography), where the songwriting really shines through. Hell Or High Water is a good example of this, as not only is it musically very different, but fits the rather bleak songwriting really well, really giving of the feeling of sinking and drowning, just as the lyrics portray a similar feeling (albeit more metaphorically). The emotion also shines through on the slower title track Venom, which has a much more subtle tone then the rest of the album, especially in the opening instrumentals.
I think it's safe to say No Way Out was the prefect first taste of this album. Aggressive, heavy, and an all-around heavy metal track. That's what Venom is: no-bullshit, heavy-as-fuck, loud, aggressive, angsty, and kick-ass heavy metal.
Whether you're a BFMV fanboy, looking to get into the band, or just a casual rock/metal fan, Venom is a fantastic album that is a must-listen for anyone who likes modern metal, and aside from a couple of rather unimpressive tracks, is definitely one of the best albums of the year thus far.
BEST SONGS: Broken, No Way Out, Army Of Noise, Hell Or High Water, You Want A Battle? (Here's A War), Pariah
WORST SONGS: The Harder The Heart (The Harder It Breaks), Skin
Final Score:
8/10
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