Bullet For My Valentine
Scream Aim Fire

THE REVIEW

Let's get straight to the point and start from the end: this time Bullet For My Valentine have missed the mark. The awaited encore of the "The Poison" success did not materialize, leaving us with a work clearly below the standards we were used to and quite a bit of disappointment.

Lost the spontaneity and authenticity of the first chapter, which made it personal, as well as having very emotional moments capable of conveying something to the listener, the key word today seems to be renewal, which however seems more like regression rather than maturity and lightening of the sound, as many have said.

Reading online, it can be seen how this second attempt by the Welsh has, unsurprisingly, sparked mixed feelings among most, not only in terms of mere positive and/or negative judgments but also in the musical analysis that comes out of it, often in antitheses, like those Sunday journalists who see and describe two different matches from one game.

"Scream, Aim Fire" marks a definite step from the previous "The Poison." The order of the day is to change, abandon the melodic metalcore sound and land on the sacred shores of 80s old school thrash metal. Therefore, a drastic reduction of screaming/growl in favor of a cleaner vocal register.

What seems on paper to be an enticing experiment, instead reveals itself to be, to the ear, an ambiguous and inconsistent blend of sorts.

Their way of understanding thrash metal is taken very much "alla marinara." They do copy the rhythmic and harmonic structures, fast riffs, and solos, but what is missing is the spirit, the charm, the dose of aggression that made legends like Metallica great. In reality, it's hard to label such an album 'only' in one way. Here, thrash is mixed with elements of heavy/power and hair metal and some remnants of metal-core, just not to forget their origins. Quite a mess.

Let's get to the point.

"Scream Aim Fire" – Fast and direct track, powerful sounds and a chorus that neatly refines the backbone. A song rightly chosen as the lead single. Curious is the bridge where we hear the only real hints of growl on the entire album.

"Eye Of The Storm" – In the wake of the previous one, it continues on a thrash tone . Vocals are good here, managing to sustain the structure despite the clean setting. Definitely a pro is the instrumental part in the middle and the frequent guitar walls that enrich the content. Best episode of the album.

"Hearts Burst Into Fire" – Here start the problems and also the power digressions. Nice intro with an arpeggio promptly backed by a solo; forget then everything else, which borders on the prostitution of metal towards radios.

"Waking The Demon" – That is, the result of Killswitch Engage’s assault on Slayer (jam-session?), which resolves into a violent track with Thomas' swirling double bass drum, lacerating screaming, and slow refrains à la "Rose of Sharyn". Passionate. If the album were all on this line, it would be a whole different story. Too bad the piece's execution fury ends too soon, returning to more ordinary coordinates.

"Disappear" – Transitional episode, nice instrumental background especially at the beginning, with a decent choral part.

"Deliver Us From Evil" – Of the four vaguely more melodious pieces, the only salvageable one, also thanks to the sweet chorus and choirs.

"Take It Out On Me" – How any 80s thrash metal band would not sound. For goodness' sake, the piece is not bad, but the 'infantile' vocal tone clashes with the heaviness of the excellent opening riff.

"Say Goodnight" – The slow ballad. That is, the modern re-proposition of classics like "One" and "Sanitarium". The final result is a maybe, as it lacks the charm and expressiveness of Hetfield's band. The first part would be acceptable, too bad it is ruined by misplaced screams in the second part and a banal chorus that at times cannot be distinguished from the verses.

"End Of Days" - "Last To Know" – The return to the past that was. The only two pieces where the screamed vocals once again gain consistency and vigor in songwriting, and elements that had decreed success years ago can be seen. Thumbs up, only for the second of the two.

"Forever And Always" – Embarrassing. Arena metal, in an indigestible cross between tacky glam choirs and obscene melodies. Really trash. And it lasts almost seven minutes, making it even heavier. We find ourselves missing the concluding "The End" of the previous album, as well as real melodic gems of the past like "Cries In Vain" and "Tears Don't Fall", here replaced by nothingness.

It is clear that we are facing a transitional CD, that leaves many questions open for the future, as well as doors and forks.

Having said that, although there are successful episodes, the platter is affected by flaws, quite tedious as well, which weigh heavily on the final judgment.

It was already known that they were a band with a young target, which is not a bad thing, if a certain logic and consistency is maintained.

But what is the best expedient to guarantee a large audience to be digestible to young cubs and college radio, if not the repeated and incredibly catchy choruses? There it is, the real weak point of the work. Often annoying and plastic choruses, also often too redundant, which negatively affect the temporal "consumption" of the full-length.

Another sore point is Mr. Tuck's unsatisfactory vocal performance, with a flat, even infantile tone, often bordering on sugary. Really a shame, considering that the instrumental parts by Micheal Padget and the leader are well-crafted, with many definitely inspired and well-played guitar parts (the riffing of "Waking The Demon" is there to prove it), chasing each other.

In essence, the point is this: thrash in form, but little substance, to be even remotely comparable to the Four Horsemen. The most accurate comparison remains with Trivium. With the difference that the latter, yes, moved from a more modern and -core sound to a more classic one on their "The Crusade", but with decidedly different results compared to Bullet. Trivium turned 360° degrees, without too many issues and above all putting aside too cheap melodies and bizarre ballads. The Welsh instead seem undecided which path to follow, whether to be like pot sellers as a sidekick to whoever is the Giorgio Mastrota of the moment or to put in that grit that the genre would require.

For now, the judgment is pending. They are in limbo; it's now up to them to make a choice.

Key tracks: "Eye Of The Storm", "Waking The Demon", "Scream Aim Fire"

Worst: "Forever And Always", "Hearts Burst Into Fire"

Rating 2.5/5