Single Review: Bullet For My Valentine – ‘Raising Hell’
2 min read
With their latest single Raising Hell, Bullet For My Valentine have pushed their sound in a slightly different direction, stating that they sought to provide ‘a more intense, thrasher style of metal’. Whilst I am perhaps not well enough acquainted with the band’s past output to make a judgement on the extent to which their sound may have developed, I can say that their claims as to the ferociousness of this release are correct.
The track begins with this Avenged Sevenfold Beast and the Harlot brand of ominousness, the siren-esque sounds coming from Michael Paget’s guitar indicating a sense of turmoil. The track then gives way to some savage and thrashy riffing, and BFMV have disclosed their desire to move towards a sound more in tune with large-scale acts like Metallica and Pantera. Whilst Raising Hell was self-produced, on their upcoming album they have employed Terry Date, who has worked with bands such as Pantera and White Zombie, rather than their previous producer Don Gilmore, who often works with poppier rock acts such as Good Charlotte and Avril Lavigne.
BFMV’s movement towards a heavier sound has not, though, meant a diminishment in regards to their melodic inclinations; the chorus is plenty hooky, and is sung with all the passion required by a lyric like ‘I’ll fight forever as the heavens fall, I’m raising hell’. The track also features some virtuosic guitar soloing, the dual rapid-fire lines at points also reminding me of Avenged Sevenfold’s work.
The band has stated that change must occur to maintain their own musical interest, and they’ve acknowledged that, in regards to fans, ‘you’re not going to please everyone all the time’. With Raising Hell though, I can’t imagine too many Bullet For My Valentine fans turning their noses up; the track is a uncompromising piece of brutality that would tick most of the boxes on any metal listener’s checklist.
::: Renowned For Sound Music Reviews ::: Ben is a 21-year-old student whose taste in music consists of tunes that make him see things. Music for him is a very visual experience; a song has succeeded when it transports the listener somewhere. This is a quality Ben hopes to articulate in writing music reviews for RenownedForSound.com.
Ben capped off his school days at a Sydney high school catering specifically for the musically inclined, but now must balance his musical cravings with university study. To satisfy these cravings, Ben has played guitar in a few groups of differing styles but is often most contented just tinkering with the blues.
