Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Bullet for My Valentine - Temper Temper (2013)
Remember in my review for The Poison, I said that the music video for the song "Riot" on TV is what made me eventually interested in this band? Yeah, it's in this album. After the successful album Fever (that's not as awesome as The Poison), the winning formula is never altered in this one, Temper Temper!
This album once again features the Welsh band's metalcore combined with pop hooks and slower ballads like in Fever, though in this album, the metalcore is less prominent to the point where this is just hard rock/alt-metal. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Tuck showed the full-on metal side that I think BFMV should've had, in a different band AxeWound. Now, Tuck is back in BFMV to make an album that would cause both delight and disappointment.
The first 3 songs are the angry kind in both music and lyrics, starting with the opener "Breaking Point". With a metal solo and catchy chorus, it has the muscular accessibility that helps the band's success. "Truth Hurts" is heavier and demonstrates the band's catchy love for metal. The title track really stomps hard, yet it's the most radio-friendly song in the album. It's done quite well pumping up radio listeners. It's a 3-minute hell-blast into radio heaven! However, following the lighter rock rules, the album slows down a bit with the next song being a ballad...
"P.O.W. (Prisoner of War)" is a softer ballad that calms things down a bit. "Dirty Little Secret" continues the calm vein while bringing back the heavier punches. The heaviness fully returns in "Leech" though the pop seems to leech on the metal. "Dead to the World" starts as a classic ballad before becoming faster in the last two minutes.
The anger and fast pace shoots through your head again in "Riot", that song I keep telling you about in which it's music video made me eventually into BFMV. It has the sharp heavy potential from earlier. I love that song so much! "Saints & Sinners" is truly metal! "Tears Don’t Fall (Part 2)" is the sequel to the best song of their debut The Poison. I love that one but not as much as the first part. The closer "Livin’ Life (On The Edge Of A Knife)" ends the album in confident fashion.
Bullet for My Valentine will never be known by metalheads just for this album, but they continue their deep thoughtful lyrics and music strengths for the world. There are very few bands who can keep doing what they like to do....
Favorites: "Breaking Point", "Temper Temper", "Leech", "Riot", "Saints & Sinners", "Tears Don’t Fall (Part 2)"