Bullet For My Valentine has all the elements that a good metal band should have, quick aggressive guitar licks punctuated by fierce percussions culminating in an orgiastic cacophony of sound. The Deluxe Edition release of Scream Aim Fire complete with music, home movies, and comics offers the hungry metalcore junkie a little reprieve from their gnawing BFMV craving.Like crafty alchemists, Bullet For My Valentine continuously returns to the basic roots of thrash metal--layer a bunch of heavy hitting riffs, screw around with the tempo by adding fast and furious guitar leads, interject a few rhythmic refrains and catchy, memorable choruses, throw in well-rehearsed shrieks and deep throated howling, underpin it all with violent drums and you have all the elements for a decent rock band.
After reviewing the Scream Aim Fire Deluxe Edition, Bullet For My Valentine fans are in for a real treat. Scream Aim Fire the Deluxe Edition contains the previously released album in its entirety as well as a four bonus tracks, which include three new songs "Road To Nowhere", "Watching Us Die Tonight", "One Good Reason Why", and a rare track "Ashes of the Innocent". True to form, the four bonus additions pull from the traditional metal core rootscombining heavy metal and hardcore punk. Vocalist/guitarist Mathew Tuck effortlessly displays his ability to blend lyrical poetry and killer metal.
As a rare treat, the CD includes all eleven 'Scream Aim Fire' mini-comics illustrated by celebrated anti-mainstream artist Tom Manning. Most of the illustrations have not been viewed by the public prior to the release of the CD, which is a bonus for anyone really digging the band. For those fans who watched the trailer out in early December, Bullet For My Valentine delivers. Fans will enjoy the DVD that includes three music videos of their work the title track, "Scream Aim Fire", chart popper, "Waking The Demon", and "Hearts Burst Into Fire".
In addition to the music videos, there are five new episodes of the bands goofy, off-the-cuff, home videos affectionately dubbed "Bullet TV", where fans will get more eye-candy than they ever imagined of the bands shenanigans while on tour in Switzerland, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. For those not in the know, Bullet TV is edited and filmed by the band members themselves, which can be a dangerous thing. While the quality of the taping is far from extraordinary, it is fun to see the crowd through the perspective of the band. All I have to say after watching the home movies is, good thing they are all successful musicians.
Bullet For My Valentine gets it. Rock and Roll for them isn't brain surgery. While no one will ever accuse them of defining a generation or contributing something new to the genre, they unapologetically give high-energy performances and pay homage to their craft. They take the simple road and borrow a bunch of ideas from the greats that came before them and mash it up to create a newish, thrash-punk inspired sound. Jumping on the social media bandwagon, they have discovered that filming and personalizing their experience for their fans gains loyalty and adulation. Bullet For My Valentine reminds us that sometimes simplicity is all you need to make magic happen.
