Album Review: Bullet For My Valentine – Fever

Posted on 2 May 2010
By Danny Keightley
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In the same way you were convinced Bon Jovi was hard rock, Welsh ‘metallers’ Bullet For My Valentine are convincing you they’re a metal band.

Here’s one for ya: NWOBPM (new wave of British pop metal) which BFMV are currently reppin’ with their radio-friendly new release, Fever; which by and large is a fan pleasing pop rock album laced with random gutteral screams, borrowed riffs, and lyrics that appear to have been written by one of their many pubescent fans: ‘keep on those high heel shoes, rip off all your clothes, you smell so fucking good, it makes me lose control.’ Yeah.

Now working with producer, Don Gilmore, renowned for his work with nu-metal titans Linkin Park, rock (ahem) princess Avril Lavigne, and Good Charlotte after they departed from the producer of their first two L.Ps, Colin Richardson whose repetoire of work includes: Devildriver, Behemoth, God Forbid, Chimaira and Sepultura. Bullet are now as metal as any of the three aforementioned acts that Gilmore has interpreted in the past…

What made BFMV’s debut album so great was the gritty production, the untamed vocals, and seamless direction — Fever is uncannily two-dimensional in its production, slick and overpolished in places. It is a choice Bullet might have purposefully made since they probably want to make money now. What better way than to increase their appeal to the heartbroken, apathetic, angsty teenage market?

For what it’s worth, the highlights appear midway through the record in Bittersweet Memories and Alone. When you take away the god awful lyrics, there’s some original song construction, and notable buildup of intensity in the six minute latter which probably would’ve worked better towards the tail end of the album. Finish with a bang instead of a whimper n that.

Ultimately, Fever isn’t feverish; rather a fifty minute concoction of American, radio-friendly drivel with formulaic, tried and tested songwriting. Shame…

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