Bullet for My Valentine - Fever (2010)Release ID: 9486
Something to notice about Fever is, Bullet for My Valentine has moved away from their great thrash-fest Scream Aim Fire, back to their metalcore sound in common with The Poison. However, they seem to mature their sound much more, which the heavier metalheads might not totally like, but I'll explain more along the way. Matt Tuck continues to reign as one of the most popular metalcore vocalists while the band writes what makes them comfortable. The bass in the well-done production has been turned from simple to heavier in the instrumentation. The guitar tone is great and the drums sound powerful in the mix, heard much better than other metal albums I enjoy.
However, the lyrics aren't as strong as in the previous two albums. Some songs' lyrics face the problem of sounding too influenced and cliche. It works well, but not in its best. They could've had metaphorical lyrics to ponder on, instead the lyrics are too obvious and at the very end of the impact the concept would've had. And I've learned in English class what to do when writing stories or lyrics; show, don't tell!
The first track "Your Betrayal" is simple yet killer! It starts with a military marching drum intro for soldiers to prepare for war with a mood similar to a song from The Poison. The simple elements continue on including drop-C tuned guitars, screams and whispers. After the second chorus, the middle section is different from your typical BFMV song. No guitar solo, just siren-like wailing vocals over heavy guitar. It does show some maturity, but it would've been better if the guitar solo does the siren-like wailing. The title track is a song that's more traditional for the band, with lyrics about a raunchy nightclub. It's faster and raw but not the fastest in the album. The vocal harmonies sound a bit sleazy. "The Last Fight" is a glimpse of a driving fighter-attitude. It has the first ever guitar solo in the album. It's my personal favorite song in terms of vocals, most of which is clean singing with background shouting in the chorus. That's a simple but cool mature song. "A Place Where You Belong" has the same slow soft ballad-like pace as The Poison's "All These Things I Hate" with some heavy bits. Unlike that other song, this is quite boring until the guitar solo picks up more heaviness.
In the next song, "Pleasure And Pain", the full heavy power returns even in that opening lyric, "COME TAKE THE SACRIFICE!!" right before the powerful opening riff adds more impact. The song goes on in a similar vein as the title track, only more intense, probably the most intense song here! My favorite lyric in the album is right before the final chorus, the quiet line "You don't want to know the truth." The next one, "Alone" starts with massive guitar tapping over orchestral synths and chord sequence, a nearly similar starting structure to "Your Betrayal", but sounds neo-classical. The synth-strings continue through the verse and chorus in catchy occasion. The guitar solos start with simple melodies transposed to E minor (key changes are rare for BFMV) before modulating back to D minor in time for the final chorus and a crashing finale like no other. The intro plays again in the outro slowing down to crawling before an epic collapse similar to a film or album ending. Yeah, that song would fit better as the album's closing track, but at least it brings us to the second side. "Breaking Out, Breaking Down" has a lot to live up compared to the preceding songs. It's less heavy but has good harmonized vocals in the chorus. That song is nice but never stands out until the simple but effective bridge.
"Bittersweet Memories" utilizes a simpler method of execution. It's basically a lost-love ballad. The song has a profound overall effect. I would never recommend that song to metalheads but instead to emo kids who attempt to cut off some of their own toes in a strange attempt to ease their misery. "Dignity" is a true trip down The Poison memory lane, especially the harmonizing opening riff that sounds similar to the one from "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow". This song might flip off fans of maturity, but what's majestic is the tight music lined up with vocal melodies, especially in the chorus. Great mix of screaming and singing. One of the best! Next one, "Begging for Mercy" is the heaviest beast in this album. There are massive riffs and a clever chorus, though similar to the slightly less heavy songs' chorus while still monstrously heavy. "Pretty On The Outside" is a dramatic groove closer with the least clean singing in the album. The lyrics are so personal that they're the best in the album!
Fever is a good album, mature and nicely played with good singing. However, the album suffers from more ballad-like songs, while still having stronger tracks. Good album but not as awesome as The Poison....
Favorites: "Your Betrayal", "The Last Fight", "Pleasure and Pain", "Alone", "Dignity", "Pretty on the Outside"
