Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Bullet for My Valentine - Gravity (2018)
Bullet for My Valentine was known as an entry point into metalcore 10 to 15 years ago, offering aggressive metal tendencies and mixing it with friendlier elements. There were screams, breakdowns, and riffs of cacophony, offset by poppy refrains and leads of melody. On their sixth album Gravity, the pop influences have infected songs beyond each chorus and most of their deep hardcore roots are gone. All that's left is nu metal from their original Jeff Killed John era with pop elements.
This dreaded sound is part of the band's drastic sound evolution reaching out for wider audiences and bigger popularity. Vocalist/guitarist even admitted that he did the whole "change the sound for bigger audience route" so that his band could headline Download Festival. Glad they can achieve that goal, but that's no excuse!
The first track "Leap of Faith" begins with a pulsing synth intro that continues on through the first verse and the chorus when the rest of the instrumentation leaps in. During the chorus, the synth switches from rhythm to lead. It's as if the synths took over most of the guitar's role! They alternate before a forceful middle breakdown with more lead synth soaring over. "Over It" is too much of an emo anthem. That song and "Letting You Go" are new-sounding yet uninspired radio singles, but the lyrics pack a few small punches. "Not Dead Yet" shows that the new elements are staying where they are.
The lowest point of this album, possibly of the band, is "The Very Last Time", an electronic ballad without any heaviness. It's so dull and uninspiring, and the lyrics sound like an emo teen's diary entry. "Piece of Me" has some breakdowns and screams similar to their older material, but everything else falls into the electronic sea, similar to Asking Alexandria. "Under Again" swims through atmospheric elements while staying a little heavy, reminiscent of That's the Spirit-era Bring Me The Horizon.
Continuing the shameless songwriting is the title track, a nausea-inducing so-called "anthem" that uses a high-octane drive of synths. I think it might have influenced a bit of While She Sleeps' So What? album with the horrendous chorus chant. They think they can sound better adding some cyber-punk rock. SO WHAT?! Another frustrating song is the generic "Coma", too light to make an impact. That's enough to make me fall into a coma! But just when I'm about to lose consciousness, "Don’t Need You" wakes me back up with the much-needed classic BFMV sound that really stands out more than the other songs. They still have their aggression! The final ballad "Breathe Underwater" is just filled with acoustic melancholy and cliched lyrics that close the album on a damp note. I fall back into a coma and don't wake up until hours after the album ended...
I admit that the new formula works in some songs and those songs become catchy and easy to digest. Metal purists would be really frustrated by this album, but maybe this will successfully open a new heavy generation that would motivate the band go back to their heavier roots. There's still hope later after this cruddy gravitational pull....
Favorites: "Leap of Faith", "Not Dead Yet", "Piece of Me", "Under Again", "Don't Need You"