Released: Feb 11, 2013
Genre: Metalcore, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal
Label: RCA Records
Number Of Tracks: 11
Million-selling British metallers Bullet For My Valentine fire blanks on their new album.
Temper TemperFeatured review by: UG Team, on february 12, 2013 12 of 18 people found this review helpful
Sound: Bullet For My Valentine's rise to the top has been rather impressive. They started as a quasi-metalcore outfit in rural Wales many years ago, built a following, injected a thrash edge on 2008's "Scream Aim Fire" and eventually found their stride as serviceable metal hitmakers who play to thousands every night. They've shown sharp songwriting in fits and starts but never made an LP of real quality. Nonetheless, in a few instances over the years they've offered some explanation as to why they're one of the most popular names from the new stock of British metal bands. No such luck here. "Temper Temper" is a toothless, unimaginative bore of an album with all the character of a paper plate. Couldn't say it's a great deal heavier, either.
All the pieces are in place for a commercial metal album – surging opener "Breaking Point", stomping lead single "Temper Temper", heart-wrenching follow-up "P.O.W." and rocking party anthem "Riot". Melodic vocals with the odd scream, chuggy riffs with a few old-school ones, peaks and troughs in all the usual places. It ticks all the boxes but unfortunately it seems as if those boxes came straight out of a page from Metal for Beginners and the band's creative ambition didn't stretch any further than that.
Writing it off entirely would be unfair; "Livin' Life" is an effective and enjoyable return to their older sound, the soloing shines on highlight "Dead To The World", and there are bits and pieces of good riffing or vocal writing scattered about elsewhere. Nothing to write home about, though, for anyone who's heard this stuff done before. // 4
Lyrics and Singing: We get some attitude in the lyrics though; boy, do we get some attitude. It's hard to believe frontman Matt Tuck turned 33 this year because at times his lyrics read like the diary of a 13 year-old Pantera fan with ADHD. An impressive total of 5 songs are about getting really angry, and three of them warn the listener not to push his buttons, or else. He doesn't mention locking himself in his room or refusing to eat his greens but the threat is implicit. When he's not strutting his stuff on the playground, Matt's got a bone to pick with a lady friend. "Tears Don't Fall (Part 2)" is a thematic reprise of their 2006 hit, but 7 years hasn't done much to help his articulation. The quality on offer across the album is best illustrated with a selection of quotes:
"Run mother--ker, it's time to hide, go bury yourself in a grave of lies."
"That's headache taste on the tip of my tongue."
"Your invitation... IT DOESN'T EXIST."
Because of lyrics like these, even the brighter musical moments struggle to get off the ground. It's a real shame. // 3
Impression: Maybe I'm being harsh here. Besides the lack of bottom end the thing is slickly produced and, although predictable, the songs are nice enough. But that's the problem; even at the more commercial end of the metal spectrum there can't be too much room for 'nice' and that's exactly what "Temper Temper" is despite its best efforts. Difficult to recommend with any enthusiasm.
Temper Temper
Reviewed by:
mpedara429, on february 28, 2013 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: "Temper Temper" is the fourth full length album from Welsh metal band, Bullet For My Valentine (BFMV). After a full playthrough of this album, the term "metal" may be getting used very loosely. In the past, Bullet For My Valentine was known for mixing 80s thrash metal with modern metal/hardcore. You could easily find hardcore chugging sections, face-melting solos, punishingly quick drum beats, raw and gritty vocals, all tied up in a neat melodic package. The band's raw talent and technicality really shined through for their first two albums, The "Poison" and "Scream Aim Fire". Their sound has changed quite drastically in the past few years first seen on "Fever" and continuing on with "Temper Temper". The overall feel is a more commercial, neutered sound.
Now polish for a popular band doesn't need to always be a bad thing. Unfortunately for BFMV, they have failed to execute with their desire for polish. A big thing I've noticed on this album is the lack of thrash elements and overuse of slow sections. I will say that some of the riffs are great like the beginning of the opening track, "Breaking Point". The pre verse to title track "Temper Temper" is also pretty nifty with the pinch harmonics, but then all things must come to an end as these songs lead into slow paced verses. This is basically the story of the whole album. Also, I totally get that these guys can play guitar, but the whole "intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus" song structure is way too predictable now. Replace the solo with a cheap bridge section for the even more lackluster songs on the album. // 5
Lyrics and Singing: By far, this is the low point of the album. Matt Tuck is a shameful lyricist and his voice seems to keep dwindling as years go by. Less screaming means nothing to me. Lots of bands do it, but they are progressing in a forward direction and maintaining their "essence", as I like to call it. These guys are moving backwards and have lost their sound or "essence". There is a major lack of emotion with all vocals on this album. There is just no conviction in Tuck's lyrics and voice. This never used to be the case. His lyrics haven't ever been top notch, but they were convincing and stronger in the past. Not here on "Temper Temper".
Let's just say that Tuck was singing his heart out and that there were well placed screams, would this album be any better? The answer is "No". Tuck's lyrics are so juvenile and blatant, you would think they came out of an 8th grade English classroom from some bitter teen. Especially bad are "Dirtly Little Secrets" and "Riot". Total ripoffs of the respective All-American Rejects and Three Days Grace songs. The only difference is that those songs were originals and lyrics are expected to be more cliche in the mainstream rock genres. Here are some lyric examples below for a good laugh:
"WARNING! Eye for an eye! You won't see it coming"
"Truth Hurts and I'm in pain, Truth hurts like a bed of nails"
"Temper Temper time to explode, it feel so good when I lose control"
"Hey Leech! No longer will you suck my blood"
"So answer me, please talk to me... Obsession, rejection" // 1
Impression: So the music is tolerable, the lyrics are not. The two culprits here are vocalist, Matt Tuck, and producer, Don Gilmore. As previously mentioned, Tuck should basically be thrown out of the band to let the rest of the dudes show their real colors. On the other hand, Gilmore made this album so sterile. Distortion for the rhythm guitar is way too clean. In general, the album feels light and the overall pace is too slow for BFMV. These guys have put out some real anthems in the past like "Waking The Demon", "Scream Aim Fire", and "4 Words To Choke Upon". They haven't even come close to that former greatness on "Temper Temper".
For hardcore BFMV fans I can barely recommend this album as it is not a good representation of the band. For new listeners, it is still extremely hard to recommend this album as it lacks emotion. I can't really think of what type of music listener would actually want to listen to this. Too lame and light for a metalhead, and not commercial enough for the casual listener. // 3
Temper Temper
Reviewed by:
BcRichRocker1, on february 28, 2013 2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Sound: This album is pretty much the definition of selling out. Bullet has the potential to write almost any genre of music, but I'm not sure what they were going for here. The album is rather shallow and lacks in the fullness we look for in bullet albums. Some songs such as "Truth Hurts" and "Temper Temper" have hints of their classic sound, but the rest of the album really misses the mark. If there's one thing Bullet is good at, it is making an album with 1-3 big hit songs, and the rest of the album is filled with decent songs. This album seemed to be filled with "okay" songs.
On a separate note, the overall quality of the mix of the album is rather poor as well. The album greatly lacks in low end... And the band made a few small mistakes as well, which they should have re-recorded but obviously were just concerned about finishing the album and releasing it as fast as possible without worrying about the quality of it. Not one of their past albums has this problem. The album ultimately sounds as if a Bullet tribute band wrote songs that sound like Bullet but aren't as awesome as Bullet. // 6
Lyrics and Singing: The real issue with this album (in my opinion) is that they released "Riot" as the first single. The song was extremely lazy, to say the least. Sure, it was somewhat catchy, but who could get passed the oh so creative chorus, "Riot, Woah." This song caused die hard fans to ultimately question the albums quality, and making them far less likely to give the other songs a chance. Many reviews of this album attack the lyrics, however, song songs have decent lyrics and other have not so good lyrics. "Truth Hurts" has some very classic BFMV lyrics with a lot of emotion involved. The chorus really stands out to me "Truth hurts and I'm in pain, Truth hurts like a bed of nails, Letting denial eat me up inside, The truth hurts, and it bleeds me dry." Lets be real, most people whether they are a high school kid or an 80 year old lady has been unhappy with the truth, so this song is universally profound. Other songs such as "Tears Don't Fall Part II", confuse and disappoint me. When it started off with "Lets go again!" I could only help but think... Really? It was just cheesy and lame, but the rest of the song was alright. Definitely not even close to the art they made when writing the original song. Other songs such as "Temper Temper" have some great lyrics mixed with some... Not so great and very confusing lyrics. Lines such as "Take a breath, hold it in your lungs" are memorable and possibly quotable, but then are followed by the line "Being from rage, will it overcome?" which doesn't really make sense to me and especially doesn't make sense with the inflection in Matt's voice.
Speaking of Matt's voice... It holds up to the same standards as every other BFMV album. His screams are as good as always, and the singing stays on key without the use of auto-tune, like many modern-day "artists" love to use. However, I did notice that the bassist didn't do any screaming really in this album, which separates it from all of their past albums and strays from the typical Bullet sound that fans know and love. Overall, the lyrics and melodies of this album aren't really the main problem in my opinion; it's the lack of awesomeness (for lack of a better word). // 7
Impression: Despite all of the terrible reviews, and the clearly questionable quality of this album, I urge true bullet fans to give "Truth Hurts" and maybe even "Temper Temper" a chance. Hopefully these songs can revive this album. I wasn't impressed by anything from this album really, it just added a few songs to the list of Bullet songs I could listen to.
If this album were stolen from me, I would track down the thief and hand them "The Poison" and tell them that they stole the wrong album.
But really, if this album were stolen from me, I would probably go out and buy the deluxe version (Seeing as Best Buy boned me by only selling the original album, and then when I walked into FYE I see the deluxe album for the same price that I paid for the original at Best Buy.) Also, I believe that if Matt just released the song "Cold" (from his side project with Axewound) on this album, the album would have that sense of completion that the dedicated BFMV fans are looking for.
Overall, I don't recommend that anyone goes out and buys this album if they are looking to be wowed, because this isn't the album for you. If you are looking to add a few more songs to your playlist, then by all means, go out and buy it. // 7
Temper Temper
Reviewed by:
MetalSlayerLADC, on february 28, 2013 2 of 6 people found this review helpful
Sound: I have been a massive fan of Bullet For My Valentine for many years now, they were one of the first Heavy Metal bands I was introduced to and I have had the privilege of seeing them live a number of times. Matt's voice, despite having had problems, performance-wise, in the past, is on top form with James harmonizing beautifully throughout the CD while also delivering the harsh vocals that have made BFMV so recognizable.
The guitar work on the album is spot-on and another signature BFMV trait. Melodic solos along with Padge's shredding techniques makes the new album a powerfully guitar riddled album. Padge's approach to soloing at first appears slightly different from the other BFMV albums however is not difficult to get used to. A mixture of new techniques as well as a lot of more irregular tempos adds the variety that makes this album so different from the others. Guitar riff fanatics will not be disappointed with this album as they are thrown into the technical ecstasy of listening to the opening riffs of songs such as "Truth Hurts" and "Dirty Little Secret". Bullet even throw in some powerful semi-ballads with songs such as "Dead To The World" and (arguably) "P.O.W." where a familiar Bullet style of more ballad seeps through with emotion and gets the sing-out-loud aspect that many music lovers crave for.
Moose's playing style on this album is as tight as on all the other albums playing perfectly tight rhythmic grooves. Especially with the like of songs like Leech where a mixture of underlying bass lines and more groove tom-tom orientated drum beats makes the song the more of the "Party Song" that BFMV intended, mentioned in their track-by-track interview with Metal Hammer. This may be criticized as one of the bands pitfalls with this album as many Bullet fans have been caught off guard with the slight change in style. It is true that this album was probably anticipated to be a lot heavier and a lot of high expectations where held for songs like "Tears Don't Fall Part 2". BFMV can be seen to have let their fans down on that aspect by delivering an album that misses the razor-sharp, gritty and incredibly powerful aspect that seemed to be delivered in copious amounts on their previous albums. // 8
Lyrics and Singing: Matt Tuck and Jason James have always caught me in a state of awe as the two deliver amazing vocal lines. Tuck suffered vocal difficulties a number of years before however as in live performances where this is more evident, the album is pitch perfect and the lyrical content is as powerful as any other Bullet For My Valentine.
Lyrical content in this album is a lot darker and powerful and as we are thrown into the opening track "Breaking Point" with the typical BFMV feel we've been anticipating from the new album. Tinted with bloody yet romantic implications and constant reference to poison and anger is, in my opinion, what BFMV has always been, is and will always be about. "Breaking Point" is filled with violence and blood and the vocal delivery of each line is as gritty and powerful as old Bullet songs like "Fever", "Your Betrayal" and "Room 409" (delivered with slightly less hatred and power as "Room 409"). The slight absence of screaming is more noticeable in the following two tracks as "Temper Temper" delivers very similar violent imagery (which could be slightly monotonous) while "Truth Hurts" talks of the danger of Drink and Drugs. Suicidal connotations makes the song very heart felt and emotional as well as having the eerie vocals during the bridge and the perfect harmonization from Jay during the chorus makes the song recognizably one of my favourites. The song according to Bullet was mostly written or created by Padge and intended to look at personal habits and how while some things you may do "might not be cool" but you accept as a character flaw. "Truth Hurts" acts as one of those great songs that could reflect anything really and the sentiment involved could change with person. "P.O.W." defies the rules of Metal while remaining true to the BMFV fell. While tempos, chord changes and melodies may not be true to the Metal genre BFMV find a way to make it work. "Dirty Little Secret" is an instant great song that can be pictured being a fan favorite for live performances. The song instantly shows BFMV traits with all the sexy connotations and brings back the era of the "Poison" album where sexual and romantic metal really worked for the band. "Leech" is an instant dark lyrical song and talks of Bullet's hatred towards the annoying people in life who "latch" onto the band much like a leech. Lyrical contents within this song are the more dark and powerful and if it were to be criticized the thing to be said about the song is how such dark lyrics can contrast against much lighter musical backing. "Dead To The World" is one of the most powerful song on the Album and is the first collaboration since Benji's (Skindred) appearance on "Take It Out" (as far as I can remember this is the second BFMV collaboration but don't quote me on that (if anyone can think of any others please feel free to comment)). Chris Jericho of Fozzy co-wrote this powerfully complex song vocally and musically. Tuck claims Jericho helped in creating meaning in a song as they began struggling after having written twelve songs. "Riot", a song pre-released before the actual albums released, has, after several listening, never gotten old in my head. A powerfully delivered song and a clear future live favorite. "Saints And Sinners" is a more meaningful song with a powerful morale that reinforces the Carpe Diem ideology and has a definite Metallica ring to it. "Tears Don't Fall Part 2", a definite widely anticipated song by the fans who helped create the song in the Facebook poll that decided on which song to remake as a part 2. Lyrically the song reflects on its predecessor, even with a number of identical lines or ideological themes. As to whether the song became successful or not... only time will tell. The final song, "Livin' Life On The Edge Of A Knife" is a pretty self-explanatory song, lyrically as well as musically. One of the heaviest riffs can be heard on this song and an anecdote Tuck tells on his Track-By-Track interview is how the song was written quickly on a relaxed beer-infected day in-between recording sessions which can be reflected in the song by the simplistic, yet heavy and powerful, musical content.
The two live bonus tracks on the special edition where highlights that swayed me into pre-ordering the album (signed I'm also proud to add) and while BFMV are well known for Matt's vocals especially after his throat problem which left him, not note-for-note perfect but still pretty amazing, the live tracks are bound to excite people who have seen the band live before. "Whole Lotta Rosie" – an AC/DC cover – being the most unusual choice, actually turned out to be the better of the two live songs bringing the special BFMV sound to an AC/DC rock'n'roll song. "Scream Aim Fire" live is equally as powerful capturing the power of BFMV's energy onstage. // 9
Impression: The album may not have lived up to the expectation of the fans however it is hard to find flaws in its powerful lyrical and technical content. While the album is not the heaviest of BFMV's work it is still one of the best, in my opinion. Of course this differs in everyone's opinion as I've seen in many other reviews who have criticized the album thoroughly, I, on the other hand, cannot find much fault in this musical masterpiece. The major flaw I found within the album was "Tears Don't Fall Part 2". The song didn't quite live up to my expectations musically. Lyrically the song hit my high expectations however after a heavy "Part 1" I felt the newest addition to BFMV's set list lacked in the power and grit of "Tears Don't Fall Part 1". "Dead To The World" was definitely a major highlight of the album with powerful guitar solos and lyrical emotion. While the album was criticized hugely in other reviews I find it hard to criticize the album being such a big fan of BFMV. While the album isn't the best to introduce to new fans, the fans who currently exist are bound to stay loyal and I feel the fans can hold high expectations for future BFMV tours. // 8
if u listen to the album already thinking beforehand its bad, you will feel its bad. After listening to the singles i also was a bit dissappointed but i kept waiting for the whole product. Its not an album that u hear and say "hey its bfmv". Also, its not an amazing album but its good man, come on, just because its not better than the other albums it doesnt mean its total garbage
I had the same feeling when I heard it.
I loved the first two albums, even on Fever most of the songs were pretty good. When I heard about TT, I was first like "Woah, BFMV new album? That sh*t's must be cool!", then I legally bought the album (didn't download it from pirate bay) and took a listen... I was disappointed to a point of desperation.
It's one thing when you listen to an album the first time around and think, "Maybe it'll grow on me. It's not awful, but I don't like it that much." compared to "This shit just straight up sucks."
There's very few things good about this album. I tolerated Fever because it certainly had its moment, but this is just awful. If this band was capable of coming out with The Poison or SAF, they're certainly better than what they released. What is astounding to me is that four members all heard the songs and deemed them worthy of releasing.
For a band with funds up the ass and a reputation as one of the biggest metalcore bands, this not only bad by what they're capable of, this is bad by any standards.
You're completely right. In an interview Matt replied to a question about pressure to top past albums with "I just dont give a ****" or something along those lines. Thats not the attitude to have if you want to stay on top of your game or if you expect people to spend their hard earned money on this crap.
Its not an album that u hear and say "hey its bfmv"
That is excactly what it is. I only needed to hear 10 seconds to notice that it sounds just like the 3 earlier album. Unfortunately a few songs in I also noticed that even though it sounds like the old ones, it is one hell of a lot worse than them.
Totally agree, they need to do something radical because they are completely out of ideas. they even rip off their own songs it's really quite something.
I know a lot of people want SAF! or The Poison like albums, but we can't do much to change it. I feel that this is a whole new step from Fever, the lyrics are less emotional and the musics better (than Fever). But since Matt can't scream like he used to, it's going to be difficult for them to go back.
But then again... it's all about the current music. But, you have to admit, there are a few decent tunes on the album...
i love BFMV and they never dissapoint live. ive been waiting for this album for over a year and preordered it as soon as possible. i think ure beeing completely harsh. BFMV have never dissapointed me and their fans will stay true to them
I've been a BFMV fan for 5 years. I saw them at Taste of Chaos 2008 and Mayhem Festival 2009. I have all of their albums (even the self-titled EP). This. Album. Is. Shit.
Bullet for my Valentine was the first Band introducing me to screams and i loved it. It was the Album The Poison. I liked Scream Aim Fire a lot. I was so excited for Fever to be released after hearing Beggin for Mercy but the Album got boring really fast.
But Temper Temper is the first Album I dislike from the very start. I didn't knew until yesterday that it will be released so i was today like "oh my god where's my money i need a new cd" but after hearing it i was so disappointed. Worst album they habe released. I am not someone who wants the band to go to their roots. But i do not want the band to sound boring.
Besides i really really love this hand they are great live.
Their fans will stay true? Who do you mean here? Me who still remembers when they where 'Jeff killed John' or the small girls who think the singer is "hawt"?
I loved all their other albums, even 'Fever'. Yea it was a bit 'mainstream' and stuff but I still really liked it. This is just such a drop in quality from anything they have done before. Yes, there are one or two good riffs lying around but that's it, other than that it is a pretty horrible album. Matt should have probably stuck to putting his effort into one band because that's the only thing I can think of to why this album is such a disappointment.
Sure, I will buy the album but only when it is dirt cheap on amazon to finish the collection (I am horrible for collecting discography's, I even bought 'Lulu' so I wasn't missing anything)
That album was complete shit. I thnk that might have been the poppiest "metal" album I've heard in a looooong ass time, and All That Remains used to have a pretty damn good heavy sound. Then they just stopped caring.
Yeah that's the thing, I get that some bands want to sell out, but who exactly is this shit selling out to? I can't imagine anyone but deluded bullet fans listening to this shit
They failed in selling out. Gosh. These guys must have had really hard time with each others when they decided to release such junk.
I hope their next album will be much better. I still love these guys, but this album is an absolute disappointment.
The Poison and Scream Aim Fire made me love this band so much and are brilliant albums, but after that they haven't seemed to push themselves anymore and instead are playing songs that'll keep them successful but nothing more than average at best. I personally have lost interest in them now
that guy im carpooling with always asks me to listen to this kinda stuff. i gave it a try, but it still seems like 12-year-olds pretending like tough dudes.
So I bought this record last saturday. It had a few goes in my CD-Player since then. Am I rather euphoric or dissapointed? Well, Neither of them.
Warning, subjective opinion following:
It's not so godawful like mentioned here (Except of some lyrics, that the reviewer already pointed out). But on the other side it's just not good.
I LOVE The Posion. I like Scream Aim Fire. I (thankfully) forgot about Fever. So were does this one come in? Well, I think it stays on a good (or bad; choose for yourself) place with Fever.
+ / -
+ Some riffs are actually quite nice
+ Some solos (even though there aren't enough for my taste) are pretty delicat.
+ A PHAT production. It really kicks the boxes here, but...
- ... it lacks something important. I can't say what. But remember that cool "grittiness" from Posion or the cool (read "brutal") guitars from SAF? Not available. Most of it is a hard, but way too much "ironed out" sound. And too much "bass" for my taste, where are the ****ing mids?
- Lyrics: There's not one song here that could stand against "All These Things" lyricwise. Everthing's just, well, hm... immature? In recent interviews I read "BFMV have grown up" "They are men now". I'm 23 by now and somehow these lyrics just can't find their way to me. Nothing that really can break through to me (adult) person. And I really don't care about all the sexual intercourses that the singer wants to have.
- All in all it's way too soft. Nothing against a mellow ballad, I'm good with that. But heck, half of this records a ballad. Or maybe I just heard to much Death Metal recently.
- the records too short. 11 songs? 11? Some even under 3 minutes? Holy ****, I paid 15€ for this.
Result: 3 of 10. I'm gonna listen now to The Posion. "Good 'ol times" 'n bla bla..
They only have one song under 3 minutes, and it's just 10 seconds below. Still I see what you mean, since 11 songs is much for an album at all. A bit uninsteresting songwriting doesn't tempt me to buy it either, so I will probably just stick to their older material if I want to hear them again.
I just saw it in my Media Player, you are right RIOT is the only one below 3 min (2.49 min in my version).
But holy ****: 44 minutes in general? Plus: My version (Paid 15 €, just normal CD Case with booklet) doesnt have any ****ing bonus songs or something.
I'm still disappointed.
Normally I buy a CD, rip it on my PC and shove it to my Phone/MP3 Player. Somehow I have ZERO interest to do this here. "Why would I listen to that whilst work?", that's my thoughts. And holy shit, I've heard some terrible music while working.
Here are the bonus tracks from the japanese version of the album. Check it out.
I like the band a lot, and although I think their best music was that from "the poison" or "scream aim fire", I think this record still have some good stuff, That's my opinion fellas!
Well they did issue a statement a year ago saying that this album would not be a metal album at all so I didn't expect much. The poison was a good album but each one after has gotten progressively less creative in my mind.
I was amazed at the absolute amateurish TemperTemper video. It's clearly supposed to be the hit song and the record company can't pony up for better directing and acting than that. It's sooooo bad, makes you question whether the album is worth buying. I will preview with caution...
As others mention, BFMV have found a formula, and may now just be milking it... we'll see.
OK... did the iT preview and actually got bored enough to tune out. There are moments of cool, but then they just find a way to kill it with recycled ideas and banal lyrical/vocal pap. Hmmmmm. Disappointed thus far. I'll revisit on YT to see if I bother to spend the coin.
I think, Bring me the horizon's SEMPITERNAL will save the british heavy metal scene this year. I hate to say this because Im a certified bullet fan but, this album is a disappointment. I love tears don't fall part 2 and the other songs are okay but the album title and single just sucks so much I want to burn my BFMV shirt.
It's totally different BFMV i used to hear. They're going to make any other mainstream album market, just like what Avenged Sevenfold did. Altough I don't feel satisfied with this new album, BFMV is still my Metal Hero.
Pretty terrible, filled with sub-par to okay riffs that aren't as memorable as some of their previous work, vocals are weak and lyrically EXTREMELY weak, "Riot" contains some of the most generic metal vocals a band can possibly muster, same with the title track, all the songs sound like re-worked songs they already have and part 2 of "Tears Don't Fall" is exactly that. They are either running out of ideas for songs or they are just losing their touch because each passing album is getting gradually worse and now they've almost hit rock bottom with this album.
The one positive though I can say about it is that solos are improving and are actually becoming really really good, but everything else is going in the opposite direction. 2.5/10 from me. A War You Cannot Win suddenly doesn't look that bad now.
People if u actually look into the band when they were making this album u will see that they went through a very tough time, this is reflected in the lyrics of some of the songs i.e. "Truth Hurts" Matt said in an interview that some of the lyrics are directed at other members of the band, he also so said that this album was more Hard Rock and punk influenced than straight out metal...yeah ok I also would've preferred a more Poison-esque album but this isn't that band really...and i don't get why everyone's saying its repetitive?? the only song that sounds vaguely like something off Fever is "Truth Hurts"...I really don't get why there's so much hate, ok I'll admit its not their best album but it isn't bad and considering what the band has been through from 2010-12 they've done quite well in my eyes
i never said it was punk...i said it was influenced by punk and that was only for one song, and yeah the reason why they maybe anxious to separate themselves from it is because they were going through tough times after they had finished touring and they want to move on from it.
Wow, i'm so glad i just listened to this off YT and didn't buy it, scream aim and fire was decent, but this? ouch...I can't even rate it because it's just so bad!
BFMV used to be my favorite band, after Scream Aim Fire...I was so excited to see what they were gonna do, but then Fever came out. After hearing the singles, I'm not even gonna waste my time listening to the whole album *facepalm*
Deluxe bonus tracks are better than the two lead singles which are an abomination. The rest of the album is standard bullet with the odd part here and there a bit different. Tears don't fall pt.2 was requested by fans so it's 50% their fault technically. Should've made a part 2 to a less significant and "impressive" song (at the time, never been overly fussed on tears dont fall myself. it's okay. Pretty lame solo IMO.) New solo is better than the previous the overall song is definitely not up to standard
Biased review.
You simply can not give an album this well produced and recorded a 4 on sound.
The sound is absolutely great.
The songwriting is top notch too.
That it isn't your taste: cool with me! It's mine neither, but please listen with an open mind.
If you look at UG's criteria for describing sound, it's this:
+ Describe your impression of a band's sound and music itself.
+ Probably some story attached to the album/CD creation?
+ Music styles artist used in a record? Music innovations?
+ Anything else you'd like to share?
Which is what the reviewer did. What the band sounds like, not how good the production/mixing is. That usually gets thrown in the Impressions part of a review if a reviewer wishes to talk about it.
Production doesn't mean anything if the music isn't great on top of it. It's when the album is good and the production sucks is when it becomes an issue that needs to be mentioned in a review.
agreed .... they have lost it! started strong and fell hard! to bad hopefully they learn from this and pick up the pieces. but to me it looks like they are trying to follow a trend and stay relevant to the same age group that latched onto them when they first became popular. thats just a theory it's really the only explanation i can come up with as to why they would create such crappy bubblegum poppy cliche "metal" and i even hate to use the word metal! they are better than this. again just an opinion
Just went out to buy this ... it's a great record.
Best songs: "Dead to the World" & "P.O.W."
This album deserves a more reasonable rating like a 7.
Sure it's not their best album but it delivers some solid music. As a true bullet fan I enjoyed this.
Don't judge this album by only two songs (riot/temper temper).
Some people don't know metal when they hear it, since this is a guitar site im surprised that not many people mentioned the solo's and guitar work... and Padge and matt have exceeded themselves. I believe they've become more mature with their sound. There's too many metalcore around these days aswell, this album stands out from their other works, it's not to light and not too heavy. This album gives off a great vibe. I believe this review is biased, seems like their ''fans'' turned their backs quick too. This album (along with any album) should be listened to with an open mind, end of the day it is metal, and metal is metal... would you rather listen to some chart music? I think not.
I just dont see how a small change in sound completely throws people off track like that? 4 on sound? no way.
Metal is all about aggression,if this album isnt agrressive then i dont know what is.
Personally this shows that they've matured and come out of that metalcore stage, if thats what you desire so much then listen to the Poison, but im sure youll be sick of it going over and over and over..
I myself am going to continue to listen to all 4 albums, instead of sectioning each one and comparing them against eachother, that is something typical fake ''fans'' do, anyone can see that their sound changed. It's adjusting to that change that makes you a true fan of them, not just their music, but also their genre.
love both bands, and SF's new album was amazing, but again not much different from their older stuff, but i engoyed the thrashy change ups! and parkyway are just heavy hitting aussie metallers, love it.
So you have never been disappointed with a band? God, if you not as a fan can express disappointment, who would do it then? Even though there are some cool riffs and soli there are still too much filler in this album. It's not fresh, it's not groundbreaking, hell! it doesn't even really gives an impression of creativity. The Poison wasn't groundbreaking, but it had a fresh sound with creativity behind the songs, that's why it is loved. I don't demand something that absolutely blows my mind, just something that sounds like they gave a **** about playing music! It is like they have taken a certain song structure and put something in it because they had to.
Actually, speaking as a big fan of heavy metal as a whole, I could straight off the top of my head name 11 songs in the "mainstream" charts currently that I enjoy a great deal more than the 11 presented on this diabolical release. Their self titled (namely Curses) was what got me into the band 6 years ago; The Poison was great and Scream Aim Fire was a slip but still enjoyable. Fever I hoped was just a hiccup, but now they're well and truly on their way through the downward spiral into failure.
Also, "He doesn't mention locking himself in his room or refusing to eat his greens but the threat is implicit."
I laughed considerably. It is very true.
Sylosis, Black label society, Pantera, Devildriver, Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Metallica, Testament, Exodus, Slayer, Motorhead, Judas Priest, Slipknot, Stone Sour, to name a few! my friend i know metal when i hear it i also know sellout crap when i hear it and BFMV have done that to extreme with this latest offering. it's their music their choice but judging by the reaction in this comment section most people aren't digging it. i know that none of the people that i run with can stand it and they have been written off they were pretty much written off after fever came out however i did like some of that album but it was showing chinks in the armor so to speak. this one just plain sucks and it's obvious the wheels have come off. don't insult people by saying they don't know metal when they hear it cause man this aint metal! it's weak candy ass rock at best! and yes some of the guitar work is good i don't think anyone is out and out saying that the musicianship is bad it's just that as a whole it's bad for instance if master of puppets had lyrics like temper temper then the song would suck regardless if the music is excellent! it would still suck! but it doesnt the lyrics are dark and they say something and they drive the song along. with a song like temper temper i just feel embarrassed listening to it, it's silly! if you like it then great crank it but dont insult those that dont by claiming they don't know what is and what isn't metal. especially when you haven't figured it out yet yourself!
You cannot compare a band that's been producing for 8 years (not including jeff killed john) with bands like metallica and black sabbath, we all know both bands are metal legends.
All the bands you mentioned above i listen to and admire. I said ''some people don't know metal when they hear it'' This is metal. Sorry, but it is.
It has hints of rock, and they mentioned they were going to drift away from metalcore and into the more hard hitting rock / metal genres, then again try Axewound if you want something abit more old bullet with a kind of groove metally feel to it.
I'm insulting no-one, but i guarantee people listened to this with bad intentions, and i dont blame them, because RIOT and Temper temper are the weakest tracks on the album. But this is metal, sellout crap? you speak of not insulting people when you're doing it as you write... This is just a narrow minded thread, I love all types of metal, sometimes its Nu-metal, sometimes thrash and alot of metalcore, i myself am in a Metal/Metalcore band. Alot of the negative reviews are based on the lyrics, but what are lyrics if they don't mean anything to the producer of them lyrics? I think they wanted lyrics that meant things to them and not just lyrics that appealed to the public, i see alot of hate on bands with new albums and it's ridiculous, if you dont like it, dont listen to it. I admire your opinion and it is constructive criticism so hats off for that, but respect my opinion too, and my opinion is; It's metal, maybe not the metal you're used too from bullet, but it's metal.
Like i said; if you dont like it, dont listen to it. it's really as simple as that.
Meh. I found the lyrical work to be horrendous but some of the instrumental work is not bad. As a whole it isn't something to write home about but it has its moments.
stick to them then, both great bands. Fair enough, if you prefer them chart releases to metal, haha.
like i said metal is metal, you could say the same on any genre really, they've produced a all round productive album (not sure if you guys have heard the bonus tracks, but theyre more metalcore ish, metal) I have no problem with your opinion, i only ask that you see mine and respect is as i respect yours.
I agree with the review. Haircuts and a swing toward a more radio friendly sound. Sounds like one of their metal hero's in Metallica back in the day.
I thought The Poison was a decent album. Not bad for a first album at all. Had its moments and showed the band definitely had a future that would likely be bright. Looked forward to the next release.
I absolutely loved Scream Aim Fire. I am pretty sure that will forever be one of my favorite albums of all time. Every song punched you in the face and was full of aggression and emotion. It truely reminded me of an album created by Thrash greats like Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth, Metal Church, ect, ect, through out different songs on the album. As someone else mentioned, following that album, I couldn't wait to hear their next release.
Then came Fever. Definitely not SAF, but still a very good quality album. More radio driven, IMO, but they still delivered their best work to date. I was hoping for something more like SAF # 2, but Fever was still a very good album and I enjoyed it.
Now, with Temper Temper, I am so disappointed. I know they can do better than that. I thought the review described it perfectly. Even after hearing the 2 singles, I thought there would still be some gems on the record. I have listened to the album 4-5 times off YT and not even one song stands out at all. Just the same rehashed stuff and even more watered down than Fever.
I find when you are a fan of an artist or a band, you want to see them progress and release stuff that doesn't sound just like their previous, but still keep their sound and release quality music. I don't feel Bullet For My Valentine did that at all. When people in the past ripped on BFMV, I always thought the hate wasn't warranted and that they were one of the true, "young" metal acts out there primed to carry the torch. Now, not so much. That hate is deserved, IMO, and all the things people criticized them for they are pretty much doing. However, more than likely, whenever they release their next album, I will give it a listen and see where they are at that point. For now, I'll stick to The Afterman: Descension.
at firts i only had listen to temper and riot and they are ****ing awful, but after listening the album its good! not the best bullet of course and some lyrics are plain lazy but the majority of the songs are well writen, its a diferent style and they are trying new stuff but you are being harse giving that kind of rate, its a good album not the best bullet for my valentne album but it deserves a 6 or 7!
the two singles out already are lame.. but i still have to say i like this album. theyre not the same old bullet we used to know, and no matter what they do, the fans are still gonna bitch about it lol.
I found the album to be awestrickening. I was all like awwwe, why didn't this album come out when I was in 8th grade. It would have fit well as my go to cd when I got tired of Limp Bizkit. The lyrics were immensely immature, solos were either missing or devoid of memorable moments, much like the entire album. I wanted to give it a chance as they were once one of my favorite bands with The Poison. Like someone said earlier, I thought the new ATR album was bad but this... Did someone vomit in my headphones? I've tried to give it a few listens but there isn't much here for anyone other than 13-16 yr old girls who cut themselves. On the bright side it makes the new All That Remains cd seem better now. It's not even worthy of being called bro metal and that's bad bro.
I don't know why this albums getting abuse considering it was all written and recorded on the spot! It's also got elements from the other 3 albums. I really like this album!
When I was a little younger, I was into these guys. I thought their first two albums were great.
Since then, I've progressed a little further away from this sound, but occassionally still dabble in it because I found their riffs to be great.
Unfortunately, I find their lyrical content to be too juvenile now and its almost embarassing to listen to some of their newer stuff. Its really sad because I really thought these guys had alot of potential and the last two albums just appear to be re-hashing the same juvenile themes over and over again.
Its really sad to see that alot of bands that I thought were really cool are now stuck in this rut of catering to the lowest common denominator: angsty kids. Too many awesome sounding bands have gone this way, either as a cop-out or just lack of creativity.
I can't say I'm suprised. I like this band, don't get me wrong, but they've always been a bit overrated. The only song by them that's actually made much of an impresion on me is Tears Don't Fall and then the rest of the album is good. Scream Aim Fire had it's moments. With Fever you could just tell they were running out of ideas. Now with this it's so stereotypical, quarter note beat, tremelo picking metal that's it's just boring. Not bad. But boring.
I think their 15 minutes of fame are about up.
I don't think the album is BAD, per se. It's just terribly boring. Like none of the tracks got me thinking 'Wow, this shit kicks ass!" it was more like "Hey...heres the next song...woooo....."
BFMV was one of the first bands I saw live and The Poison is one of my favorite albums. Really disappointing to hear these reviews hopefully they'll bounce back
Back when The Poison came out, it was such an amazing album to me. I had just started playing guitar and all the guitar work was insane to me. I'm well aware that many bands were more talented than they were, but The Poison still holds a special place in my heart.
None of their stuff really stuck with me though. Sounds like they just kinda half assed everything after that.
guitars got weaker, only some solos are cool to take the time to listen (Deluxe edition have the best solos lol i don't understand why).
lyrics... oh well, let's skip this part.
melodies... yeah, I really enjoyed the vocal melodies.
Even fever had some cool mid-riffs like Alone (awesome song), begging for mercy, pleasure and pain. And the title track had a really cool bass-riff... but this album doesn't have ANY GREAT riff, just some fills with chuggs.
1. Breaking point: cool vocal melody, it's nothing NEW, but it has a cool vocal melody.
riffs: OK intro. Chuggs with pull offs riff, but sounds ok. Well, cool solo.
2. Truth hurts: cool vocal melody, but it has some weird moans like 'your betrayal'.
riffs: nice intro. Riff sounded like an Asking Alexandria song (well, it's a shame...).
3. Temper Temper: I HATE this song, but I'm ashamed to admit that I find myself singing this song at some parts of the day although the lyrics sounds like a cartoon-racing game.
riffs: tremolo-picked intro that repeats almost through the whole song, EVEN IN THE INTERLUDE PART THEY DID THIS SHIT.
4. P.O.W. : Favorite lyrics and vocal melody, really nice.
riffs: repetitive and lazy, but fits the vocal part... repetitive guitar parts, but okay.
5. Dirty Little Secret: Didn't like the vocals that much, but it's growing on me.
Riffs: meh tapping intro followed by a simple, but cool riff. Meh clean guitars on verse. Chorus is the simple, but cool riff. Lead part after the second chorus followed by a repetitive vocal part, octaves strum and some keyboard.
6. Leech: Fucking hate the lyrics, but I gotta admit that I loved the vocal melody of the chorus haha.
riffs: meh lead intro, but ok. Let-ring guitars on the verse followed by an open-note riff. Bridge part are simple, but okay.
7. Dead to the world: reminds me of say goodnight... good vocals and okay lyrics too.
riffs: nice lead intro followed by good clean guitar parts through almost the whole song. Little heavy riff near the end followed by a cool solo. It has a nice guitar, I won't complain about this one.
9. Saints & Sinners: okay vocal melody.
riffs: meh intro followed by the chorus guitar part, which it has a cool guitar. Meh verse. Nice solo.
10. Tears Don't fall (part 2): This one's the most polemic haha. Well, I ****ing loved the vocal parts specially the end.
riffs: Most people say it sounds like a recycled tears don't fall, but I think it fits as a part 2, cause I know that people would talk shit if it was a fast and nothing-alike tears don't fall song. Better solo than part one.
Ignore the lyrics? Even as someone whose first language isn't english I just can't "overhear" them.
They're just childish. Nothing more.
Topics: - Matt telling someone to shut up
- Matt telling someone to not push his buttons again
- Matt wants to have sexual intercourse with a lady
I'm pretty sure most metal/rock bands have the same silly topics, but somehow it never sounded as stupid as here.
worst lyrics: Leech. I just can't stand it. "Hey..... Leech!" meh!
I have been listening to Bullet since they were Jeff Killed John back in 01. They don't have the heaviest sound like "The Poison" but I really liked this album. You can't expect a band to always keep the same sound though. I mean, look at Metallica? Haha. It just comes with age, age up with the music as the albums release and just enjoy some music! DAMN!
Without pretending to sound "true" I can't believe these guys come from UK, the birthplace of metal and they're a shame for the genre by calling themselves metal. Just to tell you, if a band who's been out this long isn't in the metal archives website, it's simple then: they're not metal.
Well thats more stereotyping to the max. Metalcore is just a subgenre of a fusion of extreme metal and hardcore punk. Yes, a lot of bands in the metalcore genre nowadays sucks to have, but theres still lots of greats from Converge to Every Time I Die to Parkway Drive.
I dont get this band's popularity and success. They've never put out more than a slightly above average album and yet they have huge acclaim. This album is boring and generic.
1/10
BFMV was my gateway band to bands like Megadeth and Pantera, so I'll always be partial to them. They've gotten worse over time. The thing I actually think that's funny is that over all the albums, you can see Padge's progression as a lead guitarist. He's blossomed, but the rest of the band has not. I feel he would do much better in a side project that could use a good melo-shredder.
I think the problem with this album is that while the poison was a good album, that I enjoyed as one of the first albums I actually bought myself, the rest of them just went downhill from there, and this album hasn't stopped the trend. I can listen to these songs, and say, I recognise that it is bullet playing. But asides that, I don't feel anything from it. It's just predictable and samey throughout. It actually angers me a bit that these guys have the chance to get an album out, and they do so with no artistic flare or adventure. Its similar to radio pop, just put out there, because people will buy it, not because they are good tracks.
Boring and generic. When I heard the Poison, I was excited about these guys but since then they havent gone on to impress me or many other people judging by comments. Their melodies are over used and very predictable from the first note. Lyrics and singing dont come across too good either.
It's hilarious all these people are bashing BFMV - yet this album will debut in the Billboard Top-5 next week. Like it or not, BFMV are here to stay and regardless of all the haters, I like the new album and everything they've ever released. Everybody wants to keep bands in their back pockets underground like, and when they hit the mainstream people want to start casting stones and ripping them for "selling out." Blasphemous - I bet half the haters above are still jamming this album secretly when no one's around.
-Just because something will likely reach the Billboard Top 5 (or the Top 5 in any chart), doesn't mean that it is any good. Hell I could use the same argument for really any crap artist/band.
-We are allowed to express our opinion on a particular album by anyone, good or bad. Expressing a negative perspective shows that people aren't deluded.
-I personally hate when people say that someone's new material is crap just because more people bought it more than their previous efforts, and use that as their main argument on why the song/album "sux", rather than the content (unless the content really did suck).
If I got my facts right, it was Fever when they went "mainstream" (I haven't heard BFMV's music so I obviously can't say anything directly about their music), but judging from comments about the place, it was only an OK album at best, & that was a widespread opinion on people who heard the album instead of a minute individuals who hate anything mainstream with a passion. Judging from the reactions towards this album, the people on Ultimate Guitar aren't exactly the only ones expressing a heavily negative reception to this album.
-If someone doesn't like an album, doesn't mean they secretly are a closeted fan. That argument is stupid.
Couldn't find a song on this album that I actually like. I didn't really listen to Fever either, but there were a bunch of stuff from before that I really liked. This album is full of forgettable mediocre riffs and it didn't really seem like they were trying on this one.
Guys as much as i agree, Temper Temper is an extreme let down from there earlier material. There is no doubting that but you have to firsty give credit on where they got to to and how fast and secondly every band there is will release atleast one or two really bad albums, they will learn, and get better, i have huge faith in BFMV and unless youre a top of the charts metalcore band yourself you cant say that theyre bad now all of a sudden, theres always a let down album by a good band no matter what, Metallica is a good case amd point.
"unless youre a top of the charts metalcore band yourself you cant say that theyre bad now all of a sudden"
It was going so well, up to this point.
By your logic, no-one can have an opinion on this album, since nearly no-one is in a "top of the charts metalcore band". That quote also made you hypocritical in a sense, "Temper Temper is an extreme let down from there earlier material". "Extreme let down" doesn't mean that it was just a minor slip in their musical progression, it means that the album is a catastrophe in comparison to their previous releases.
Also we don't have to be a 5 star chef to say that some food we just ate was crap. The exact same thing applies here.
Excuse me but, Avenged Sevenfold has always rocked. I will say this album was very lacking, but... it could still be considered a solid album...just barely anyways...
I know it's kind of unfitting to compare A7X to BFMV, but somehow, as crazy as I am, I always compared them.
Right know I own every BFMV record and almost every A7X album(except the debut).
A7X don't make the music they did on Waking The Fallen. But somehow that's totally okay. the band's grown up and so their music, their vocals, their lyrics, their guitarskill/sounds, their topics, etc etc.
For example Nightmare is a lot different as e.g. the selftitled album, but holy moly, it's definetly a killer.
Sysnster Gates and M. Shadows could rip everything apart together. I cannot say A7X had a serious downtime somewhere (except of the personal downtime as their drummer died).
BFMV don't make the music they made in 2006. SAF wasn't like Poison at all. I can't really exactly say what BFMV lacks. Maybe it's just overall quality.
Glad to see that the reviewer wasn't just like "Oh, BFMV, they ****ing suck, 1/10" He actually acknowledged that they have made GOOD songs in the past. I know I can trust his opinion.
The lyrics are pretty shitty but so is his english. Give the man a break. I really like BFMV and I was pleased to hear this album. I've already listened to it a few times through and I love that their sound hasn't changed much.I think this is their best once since the poison. You cant compare their old music to their new stuff so don't be stupid. Everyone was better back in the day. You're just getting old can't admit it. I also love how people automatically throw this album in the shitter. Shut the **** up and make something better, oh thats right....you can't. I mean all of this with love
Again a few things...
-"Give the man a break", No. Not in this cut-throat industry. If someone says that something is bad, they should say it (even if it is against the majority). I personally see that all music is considered "art", there is no need to lie about if something is good or bad.
-Err... Yes you can compare their old music to their new stuff, especially if they haven't bothered back side to change it, which you kindly said in your post. "I love that their sound hasn't changed much."
-Referring back to my reply to matthew1996, "we don't have to be a 5 star chef to say that some food we just ate was crap. The exact same thing applies here".
When I was still experimenting with the heavier sounds of metal when I was 18 (I got into listening to Metallica and thrash around 13, then over time I got into Pantera and Slipknot around 17-18 - I am now 25) I was quite into Bullet For My Valentine. I actually heard "Hand of Blood" on Need For Speed: Most Wanted (the original) and really dug the raw, relentless vibe they brought to the table and, eventually, I became quite the fan. Eventually, I grew out of them, somewhere after "The Poison" I lost interest (I have ended up into all sorts of different metal, from nu to death), I got bored... And that is because I started to see their lack of interest in keeping that sound. Each album has witnessed a steady decline since... However, as much as I had little faith in "Temper Temper" prior to the release, that steady decline has become a rapid descent... I saw the video of the title track on Scuzz, and my jaw dropped... in a "What. The. Fuck...did I just see?" way. And after drawing my conclusion to what the album represents, I listened to it on Spotify... and my instincts were 100% spot-on. The conclusion is, BFMV have taken a complete 180 degree swerve and drove down Sell-Out Way. And if that is not enough, it's not just an awful album - it's just plain SHIT!! I am embarrassed to have once been a fan of the band. I get it, they want to take things somewhat more mellow... I like mellow; a good ballad goes down a treat, I am a big fan of bands like Alter Bridge and Foo Fighters as much as I am of Behemoth and DevilDriver - I have diverse tastes when it comes to rock and metal. But "Temper Temper", I cannot even find a place for. It's not metal, it's not stadium rock - it's just bland. 0/10, and I am being generous by giving the album a rate at all.
I found out about them the same exact way. Loved that song. And well, I can't say I love it anymore. I've just came to know that there are way better bands than these guys and I grew out of that phase. Same phase that made me love Five Finger Death Punch, All That Remains, Avenged Sevenfold, Escape The Fate, and Hollywood Undead. Makes me quite ashamed that I once loved all of these bands. Now I know how immature their lyrics are, aside from A7x. I still have faith in them even tho their last album wax pretty damn boring. BFMV pretty much pulled an ATR on this album and completely sold out. What a shame bc I know they have the potential. They need better songwriters.
A7X and FFDP are two that definitely stand out on the list. A lot of A7X fans don't recall anything prior to their "media" debut album "City of Evil", where they were a damn sight more heavier and, in my opinion, more mature. In fact I know a lot that consider "Sounding the Seventh Trumpet" and "Waking the Fallen" EPs rather than LPs, calling "City of Evil" their debut album. I don't consider A7X that bad, they have some quite jamming tracks and Synyster Gates has a lot of awesome guitar riffs. I prefer their earlier recordings and feel that they haven't truly lived up to their potential. I think their cover of "Walk" is testament to just how good they can be. FFDP, I liked their debut. "War is the Answer" was good also, but I can't even listen to "American Capitalist" because it is just that bad. I mean, there was a song hitting out at fad technology and social media, name-dropping one after the other. Who wants to listen to a metal song about Facebook and iPhones? Ugh. I can't talk about All That remains because I wasn't a big fan anyways - same with Escape the Fate and Hollywood Undead. I can relate to Slipknot in this; their last album was... meh. A few good tracks but too bland. What happened to their "don't give a ****" attitude, and why has it been replaced with "You left me so I dress up like you to remind me of you"? I think a lot of bands believe it is a natural cycle to overhaul their sound, or experimenting too much instead of sticking to their roots... BFMV have basically thrown their old sound out the window and they don't care (Matt Tuck said in an interview that it is "our band" in response to criticism), and the reason they have done this is because, in their eyes, they've won. They have the fame, the fans, the money and the sales that back them up when criticism is thrown at them. It's all too Axl Rose for me; I personally believe Matt Tuck is the driving force of that band and he is mad with power.
Okay this record wasn't their greatest effort but you have to understand they didn't do any pre-writing or demoing for this album, they just went straight into the studio and wrote the same time as recording. That's why I reckon it isn't that great. But they did a ****ing great cover of whole lotta Rosie on the deluxe edition.
And that is the sign of a band that have ego issues. No matter how big you become, how experienced you are, you DO NOT enter a studio without any pre-writing or demoing. You try to make the album sound better than what it is, but you have painted a worse picture on the band.
Yeah, when Metallica decided to step into studio without any material, and just improvise, we gotten St. Anger. Bullet for my Valentine thought that they might be on same level as Metallica, and tried it too. Here we have Temper Temper. Moral ? Dont..
god this album just sucked so hard, i remember them saying that this was going to be there black album, no its there st. anger, i couldn't even bear the back half of the album and i deleted it right after trying to get though the back half, i'm extremely dissaponted in bullet to go from killing cheating *****s to throwing pillows is just a travastiy, i love how all the hardcore bullet fans are defending this shit, as big of a fan as i am i can say **** this album it sucks and i won't be listening to it ever
Honestly I don't get it. There's like, what, 4 solid decades of catchy metal that is both intelligent, but also holds up to the test of time. So many bands you could listen to that actually try new things from album to album, but don't lose their catchiness or accessibility. Hell, there dumb as **** bands who release album after album that are both catchier and heavier than Bullet. I really don't get their appeal outside of being a modern day gateway to metal. I mean, I get the appeal of no bullshit, catchy metal/hard rock, but how do these guys qualify?
Personally, I don't think this album is totally unlistenable; it's got some reasonable moments and riffs, but I'm not really sure who they think they're gearing the album towards. I seriously hope their best work isn't behind them (Poison and SAF were great, and Fever had some great songs). The thing that confuses me the most is choosing probably the two worst/mainstream songs for singles. I hope that was a record company thing rather than the band's own choice.
I am afraid that their best days are behind them. Matt Tuck has openly admitted that that work is their past and as far as the critics are concerned, it is "our band" and "we will do the music we want". They have settled to mediocrity because they have made their money and know that millions of fans will still buy the album, regardless of the crappy title track. It's funny, Matt Tuck said that this would be their Black Album" - remember how many fans Metallica alienated after? Well, BFMV have got a head's start.
I'll always like Bullet, because it was through Bullet that I got into Killswitch, August Burns Red, Maiden, Sabbath, Metallica, Opeth and the rest of Metal in general.
That said, this album disappointed me at first, but it has grown on me. I'd still chalk it up as their worst album to date, but from the first time I heard it and thought 'My God, this is unlistenable' to now, I've grown impartial to it.
The Poison was a good album, yes the lyrics were all about a filthy ex and the screaming wasn't exactly remarkable, but the riffs were infectious and I liked it. Then came Scream Aim Fire which was essentially "Hey y'all, we're not whiny emos any more, so shut up and listen", and I thought that was brilliant. It has bits of thrash combined with their massive harmony riffs, some excellently placed screams and nice cleans that were a bit more vicious than The Poison.
Then along came Fever and I thought uh-oh, they now have no balls, and for reasons I can't quite place, I didn't like it nearly as much as SAF, but it was still a decent album.
Temper Temper? It's just mediocre. Maybe the next album will pick up the pace a bit.
I'm all for creative change, artists reinventing themselves etc, but when SAF was so good, why would they get sidetracked on this???
They need to go back to making a poison type album. I get wanting to progress your sound, but you can't only give one great album like the poison to your fans, make at least 2 or 3 albums that sound like your roots.
So disappointed with this album. I'm not a huge BFMV fan, but they've had their good moments. I quite liked Fever, but this album just sounds like the rejects from their last 3 albums. And I'm sorry but will they ever play a song that isn't in C minor :p haha xD (I know they have some that aren't, just a lot sound like they follow the same basic formula).
I don't like the lyrics in many BFMV songs, so I didn't have high hopes for this album (and I was predictably unimpressed with them) but not even the music makes up for it. I mean, some of the riffs on Fever are amazing (Alone and The Last Fight being my favourites) and stuff off their earlier albums (although I didn't really like them) was better than this.
I saw a review of this album a while ago that compared it to the Black Album, Countdown To Extinction and Vulgar Display Of Power.....REALLY? They had to be joking cause those are 3 classic metal albums, and this most definitely is not. I keep getting people saying it will grow on me. And with certain albums I have a hunch, whether they'll grow on me (e.g The Hunter by Mastodon), but this. I seriously cannot see this growing on me.
I'm all for bands changing their sound a little, but this, in my opinion, isn't changing their sound. This is just a mediocre version of what they've done in the past.
I dont know why everyone is saying this album is horrendous. Ive listened to it several times and yeah it might be the weakest of their albums but its not terrible. People just want a reason to hate i guess.
Maybe its just because ive avoided everything i could about the album, i heard a snippet of temper temper and listened to Tears Dont Fall pt 2 well over 40 times (Vile reminders of my ex and the song helps). People seemed to be hoping for another "The Poison" which cmon you gotta know its not gonna happen.
It really pisses me off when people are so clouded by their own opinion that they expect everyone else to not have their own. It's not a reason to hate at all, it's expressing one's personal opinion. Is that so wrong?? I don't hate on people for having their own view on things because they are entitled to it. But if that person says "I can't understand why everyone hates...." etc, that is where I draw the line. Look at the person below; his/her views are completely parallel to most on this thread, but he/she isn't bitching at everyone else for expressing their distaste for the album. Grow up.
I think it's a great album, sure it sounds different and Matt Tuck cut his hair but when a band stays the about the same for 10 years, they tend to get old quick. Bullet just knows how to grow up. 7 out of 10 for me.
I know that truth hurts, almost as much as walking into room 409, but here's a dirty little secret.
My heart has burst into fire listening to all of Temper Temper.
I have turned to despair.
All these things I hate (revolve around this album).
I'm suffocating under words of this song.
This has got me begging for your mercy.
I never thought this is how you'd hit the floor.
Deliver us from this evil.
Here's four words to choke upon:
Look
At
You
Now.
Don't say it's the end of days
And that you're just another star, that's burned out to quickly
It would feel like the end of the world.
But I will love you forever and always.
Even if my cries are in vain.
I don't get the bashing of this album really. Has anyone heard the solos on this album, they are fu!king facemelting and Matts singing has improved. And i love the catchy riffs like in the song saints & sinners, blast that shit at max volume, you might actually think different,
If you don't like the album, don't listen to it. I'm getting tired of people complaining about an album that isn't even bad. Why don't you people try playing the songs on guitar. They are fun and maybe you will change your mind
-"If you don't like the album, don't listen to it." In order to have an opinion of the album, the person has to listen to it first.
-"I'm getting tired of people complaining about an album that isn't even bad." I'm glad you liked it, but everyone has an opinion. No need to be butthurt over.
-"Why don't you people try playing the songs on guitar." Why should the person who obviously dislike the songs try and learn them on the guitar? It will be unlikely that they will change their minds anyways, since most people has already established their thoughts on the album.
I bet you anybody could learn these songs in ten minutes, easily. Especially "Riot." My God, the whole album is awful. I'm an appreciator of all forms of music, but when a band or artist writes just to appeal to the masses instead of for the depth and genuine quality of a song, I start to lose A LOT of interest.
Why don't YOU learn the songs on guitar? Ready? Go.
riot takes days to learn its not that easy, and try temper temper, you will find out how hard is performing this song.dont yell that its boring, its easy, so if its easy, could you learn it in ten minutes, you wont because you dont even like it.
I dug the album in general, but the singles they chose were weak. Two weakest songs on the album probably. Riot has grown on me a bit but I don't like Temper Temper.
This is honestly one of the most depressing albums I have heard in a long time. That the band who got me into guitar and metal just put this out, is..... ughh. I am normally fairly forgiving of generic metal, as long is it is a bit of fun to bang your head to, but this is honestly terrible.
It's not just that this album sucks so bad, it's the same songs repeated! Seriously, listen to these pairs, the sampling and repeat riffs are just unacceptable:
Breaking Point = The Last Fight
Truth Hurts = Your Betrayal
Temper Temper = SAF (maybe)
Beginning of Dirty Little Secret = beginning of Alone
Dead to the World = Say Goodnight
Riot = Pretty on the Outside (Whoa-oh-oh’s)
Tears Don’t Fall = … nuff said. Although these are actually pretty good lyrics and a good solo… Why tie it into an existing song? Come up with something new.
But then, haven’t they been ripping off their own riffs the whole time anyway? (SAF: see Disappear vs. Last to Know)
This album is a complete disappointment. I did enjoy AxeWound, so I'll just go back to listening to that one.
existing song...it seems that they had run out of good themes and melodies and their old passion for songwriting before releasing the album, that's why they underestimated their latest product, they also got help for dead to the world from Jericho, but this never means they have lost their talent, all that can be considered is they haven't been in a good condition since 2010, and of course with such mood, anger and feeling hatred for themselves made them to do a mediocre product.
you can see riot, its an easy small song, Matt even says its odd, but they like it, this has two things inside, either they didn't want to put enough into that song and they neglected, or they wanted to do something different, that's for sure, this difference made did not impress a lot of people, only the performance got stronger in live shows.
Matt also said that they asked their fans for an old song to pick for a part 2, but he mentioned a lot that he didn't wanted to make an existing song, he wanted to make something new of course.
but its already half of may, and it seemed that their mood has been going better and better during live shows because of their epic performance and touring with Halestorm and ... seems to make them encouraged enough for a better album, and they may do a collaboration with Halestrom...
A few years back ,I had to buy a new 'the poison' cd because my other was worn out from overplaying.If I could return this album to i tunes for a refund,I would.Its bloody awful & they ought to be ashamed!
I've listened to Temper Temper some weeks ago, though I didn't listen to the CD itself as someone put up the complete album on YouTube and I wanted to check it out before buying it.
I know Bullet from the very beginning, to their first album I still listen very often - powerful and still fresh metalcore. You can't deny there are some hooks and bridges in some of their songs on "The Poison" that you like whether it's a little bit poppy or very melodic or because of good guitar work.
In 2008 (or so?) they released their second album and of course I bought it right away... it's not as good as the first one but still there have been some songs on it that I still like nowadays.
With their 3rd album Fever they went for, as it seemed to me, a completely different way... sadly! Coz' that way wasn't good. I bought Fever for like 5 bucks at a local electronics store and listened to that CD maybe 3 times... I went to a concert on the Fever tour here in Europe and was pretty disappointed. Although they played a lot of old songs, the new songs just couldn't "ignite" - neither live on stage nor at home in my sound station.
I didn't think it could get any worse but then I listened to Temper Temper's first single "Riot". My reaction was like "Ohh my goood... that ain't Bullet is it?!". Sloppy melodies, sloppy guitars, sloppy vocals, sloppy lyrics... I couldn't believe it! I still remember how some people talked about Bullet as the new-age Metallica, as a band with a lot of potential! That was back in 2006 and I shared most of their opinions. And I still believe Bullet has got the thing it needs to be a succesfull band! But it's also the only band I know where you cannot see any improvement but only 'worsening'. I can only say it once again: I was a real fan of Bullet in their very beginning but if you would show me the band today and I wouldn't know their earlier stuff, I'd be like "wtf are u kidding me? who the hell likes that kinda music?".
That is so sad!
I hope Bullet finds back to their roots... stick to the real metalcore and stop making such crap! This is no flaming, this comes from my very heart!
I can get into a lot of the music, but the lyrics are abysmal! Every time I listen to the start of TDF Pt.2, I shake my head and ask myself how my old heroes have fallen so far.
I actually thought some of it was catchy. Temper, Temper, and Tears Don't fall were the two stand outs. The intro to Dirty Little seceret was okay. Bullet's my favorite band but I'm dissapointed with the new album to say the least. I hope they fix their mistakes, and +1 to making another Poison sounding album \m/
I do enjoy this album more than Fever, that's for sure. The music on Fever just bored me to death. I definitely miss BULLET though. This album's sound is kinda' a cross between The Poison and Fever to me...Fever was bland and boring, and that shows on this album, but it has a more "Poison"-esque energy and sound to me. I just think the issue with Bullet is that they put all of their energy, creativity, and passion for their music into The Poison, and Scream Aim Fire was still really good, but was a little behind The Poison. They just lost the energy they used to have, and can't stand up to their old work, especially if, as someone stated earlier, Matt Tuck "just doesn't give a ****" about pressure standing up to their old albums. I've been thinking Bullet has run their course since Fever, and this album surprised me a bit, but I just don't think Bullet is going to make any huge comeback anytime soon. I really hope they do, but I'm losing hope fast. They're just getting lazy, which really sucks because these guys used to show time and time again that they have SO much potential, and then just dropped at a stunning rate. When I heard Riot when it came out I thought "Okay, these guys are done." Then I heard Temper Temper, and I thought it was better, but they still lost their magic. The album as a whole definitely could have been worse, but it could have been a lot better. 2.5-3/5 would be my score. Oh, and Tears Don't Fall (Part 2)? It's been like seven years...it's a cool idea, but should have been done on Scream Aim Fire or even Fever; the song jsut doesn't have the magic the original did. It's like they're doing what Escape the Fate was doing with the Guillotine series, except they actually did it better, and they've REALLY been a terrible band.
What are these reviews telling vary a lot in many circumstances, if we think off their recent band arguments and substance problems, which nearly tore them apart...we will say this is a joke, its stupid, its shit, ... .
but when we look wiser in the tracks we find that nearly half of the songs are qualifying to listen in our playlists along bullet's older songs:
Breaking Point:A qualifying song with many new things inside, despite the album's ill theme, this song pulls a good intro out of an angry-hopeless album like this.
Truth Hurts:Many People liked this song, but this song is vocally one of the weakest of bullet, Matt shouldn't do a chorus like that, he can use his voice much better. I actually dont think its sound is qualifying enough but it lyrically is and the bad point is the unwell chorus repeats a lot in the end of the song
Temper Temper:This song is a qualifying one, you know, its combination and the quality of songs riffs, vocals, etc. are amazing, maybe some will say it's bad, but its a powerful song, though it doesnt sound as well as its previous albums, but its good.
P.O.W.:Excellent ballad, of course a qualifying song, but its theme is weak and lyrically doesnt come with the songs melody, its a hopeful melody but the only hope for the singer is "I will breath once more" which doesnt mean the real prisoner of war has any plans of encouragement although the song's melody represents much more than a phrase of hope.
Dirty Little Secret:the song seems without a principle, first starts with a probably bad sound of guitar, which a piano could do better instead, and the chorus doesnt mean much...we wait until the guitar solo, its one of the best things i have seen from bullet in all these years but unfortunately its just a qualifying guitar solo, not the whole song.
Leech:Nice opening, even with many of you saying its lyrics are nasty, its nasty but its enough for the song, the only problem is the riff at the middle that makes the song really unpleasant.
Dead To The World:A Qualifying song, generally seems good for a slow ballad song, and much better than Say Goodnight From its past albums
Riot:A half song, compact song, easy vocals, easy riffs, easy goal for the lyrics, to start a riot. Matt urges the people to riot and do what it takes so easy, in spite of the consequences.
Saints and Sinners:Opens well, even with its unpleasant lyrics, it looks like a song which is not bullet, it looks foreign and since many have figured out that songwriting partially represent what goes on the songwriter's mind, and this shows Matt Tuck was not in a good condition for songwriting at all, hopefully he's mood is much better while touring with Halestorm.He Can fix that.
Tears Dont Fall (Part 2):Absolutely a good song, and a powerful solo, it sounds mediocre but deeply the amplifiers are going to explode when the song is played.Sure it will qualify.
Livin' Fire (On The Edge Of A Knife): I believe this is the second heaviest song from bullets lifetime, standing second behind the monstrous "Ashes of The Innocent".Its mood is really bad and sounds really ill, and totally heavy that can tear your brain into pieces, but it qualifies and its a TOTALLY enjoyable song in live concerts and there's no doubt about that(see O2 Birhingam Show on moshcam)
The Deluxe tracks are better, officially "Not Invincible" that represents a complete BFMV power and strength for a qualifying song to listen in our MP3 players along bullet's old ones.
and it's songs sound too harsh and too difficult to perform, so doesnt allow me to rate lower than 7, and with counting the live performance within it, it can go for an 8.
hopefully they'll bounce back
And I thought Fever was bad...
By the way, does anyone else think the singer looks like a lesbian with his new short hair?