It’s
been almost three years, but the Welsh rockers are back with their brand new
album, Temper Temper. The band’s last release was 2010’s Fever, and although reception was
generally positive, some critics were disappointed that the band was straying
away from their more metalcore roots and progressing towards more of a hard
rock sound. So, with this new release,
does Bullet continue to move in a hard rock direction, or do they take a few
steps back to please some of the longtime fans?
Before
I get into the details of this release, I should state that the first two songs
I heard off of Temper Temper were
“Riot” and “Temper Temper”. While the
title track was catchy enough, and had that Bullet sound I was looking for,
“Riot” was a huge letdown. The monotonous
guitar playing, the uninteresting lyrics, everything about this song screamed
“filler”. I began to fear that Temper Temper would be full of dull
tracks, a problem that almost plagued the band’s second release, Scream Aim Fire. Fortunately, that was NOT the case, and despite a few gripes, the band delivers on
a huge scale.
Temper Temper opens with the song “Breaking
Point”, starting the album off with a band.
Matt Tuck’s guttural screams are peppered throughout, and the driving,
heavy beat Bullet is known for is put on full display here. The only downside to this track is the
lyrics. In fact, before I go any
further, I should probably address this, as it is the one negative constant throughout
the album.
Bullet
For My Valentine has never been known for their lyrical prowess. Their lyrics have ranged from adequate to
awful over their four album career, using the same rhymes and clichés just a
tad too much. Some of their themes are a
little ridiculous, too (targeting “smack-talkers”? Really?!
Is this a rap album?), but the lyrics are not what draws me to this
band. For a more “mainstream” metal act than
most of the other artists I listen to, Bullet has always displayed insane
musical talent, creating catchy and sometimes intricate riffs and solos. As long as that remains, present (which for
the most part, it does), I will not harp on the lyrics too much. Now, back to the album.
“Truth
Hurts” is the second song, and features some of the aforementioned shoddy
lyrics. However, the guitar riffs are as
solid as ever, and the overall feel of the song harkens back to their sound
from The Poison, with elements from
their newer work peppered in. “P.O.W.”
is one of the album standouts, and one of my favorite Bullet songs,
period. It is very reminiscent of Fever’s “The Last Fight” (The standout
on that album, in my opinion), albeit at a slower pace. Fans, old and new alike, should not be disappointed
with this track.
Next
up is “Dirty Little Secret”, featuring a softer verse, building into a heavy,
frantic chorus. Padget’s guitar playing
is excellent here, featuring some great solo-esque segments. “Leech” sounds like it is straight out of The Poison, which is great for long-time
fans. It’s nice to see a track that recalls
the band’s roots amidst all of their newer-sounding material.
Bullet
has always excelled on their slower, softer songs, and “Dead to The World” is
no exception. Again, don’t expect some
Dylan-worthy lyrical content here, but you’ll definitely be ready to break out
the lighters if they ever play this live, and seamlessly shift into punching
your friends in the face for the songs heavy climax.
“Saints
and Sinners” is the only real forgettable track on Temper Temper, and at times almost sounds like an Avenged Sevenfold
song. If the band decided to drop this
one completely and keep it at a 10 track album, I would be perfectly fine with
that. The guitar solo is the only real
redeeming quality of this track.
The
last two tracks round out Temper Temper with
possibly the strongest finish on a Bullet album to date. “Tears Don’t Fall (Part 2)” sounds exactly like
you would expect it to, which is fucking awesome. “Leech” may sound like it is out of The
Poison era, but this one is. The slow builds, screeching vocals, thrashy
interlude, crazy guitar solo, it’s all here.
Every time I put this track on, I can’t help but smile (and bang my
head, of course).
Lastly,
we have “Livin’ Life (On The Edge of a Knife)”, one of my personal
favorites. The hooks are insanely
catchy, the guitar riffs are damn near perfect, everything about this song
makes sense as to why Bullet chose to close Temper
Temper with this song.
With
all things considered, Temper Temper
does suffer from some of the same issues that have plagued every Bullet For My
Valentine release, but for the most part, gets way more things right then it
does wrong. Longtime fans who were disappointed
with Fever will be happy to see a
resurgence of the older sound, and newer fans will have nothing to complain
about, either. If you are into metal or
hard rock, you owe it to yourself to check this album out.
8.5/10
