The Poison (CD - 2006)

Bullet for My Valentine: Matthew Tuck (vocals, guitar); Jay James (vocals, bass guitar).

Welsh heavy-metal quartet Bullet for My Valentine began making serious headlines in the metal press in 2005, and with good reason. The band combines a vintage U.K. metal sound (think Iron Maiden and Judas Priest) with the ferocity of 21st-century metalcore and the emotional angst of emo. THE POISON, the band's punishing full-length debut, finds all these elements mixed to perfect measure via top-tier production. In addition to the relentless sonic attack, Bullet for My Valentine also filled THE POISON with solid songs, a factor that distinguishes them favorably from their legions of metal and screamo peers.

Bullet for My Valentine hails from the same stomping grounds in South Wales as peers Funeral for a Friend, thus sparking comparisons between the Welsh acts that go further than a fondness for dark, morose band names. It's hard to deny a certain likeness to their Funeral friends throughout The Poison -- check out the dynamics of "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow" -- but the difference lies with BFMV's songs falling much closer to the metal side of things, chugging harder through emotional lyrics than their melodic counterparts. For fans of Alexisonfire and Atreyu, they employ the glossy, melodic metal-meets-emo aesthetic, utilizing darkly romanticized lyrics that are smoothly sung and growled side-by-side. Bullet for My Valentine's self-proclaimed love of powerful riffs and classic metal is dotted all over their full-length debut ("Room 409," "Spit You Out"), though it begins with a deceivingly tranquil instrumental intro that leads directly into the metalcore realms of "Her Voice Resides." This song is one of many that, despite its rigorous execution, can't hide the fact that the guys are really softies at heart ("my heart is bursting through my chest/ and now I'm crying, the tears are pouring off my face"). Overall, The Poison is a well-produced, solid effort -- but seeing as they're now trying to take over American hearts, it would be nice to see future attempts to distinguish themselves more from the new-school pack. ~ Corey Apar minimize