Bullet For My Valentine – ‘Bullet For My Valentine’ (Deluxe Edition) [Album Review]

In November of last year (2021), Bullet For My Valentine released their seventh, self-titled album, which marked a new era for the band, and is considered by many to be their best record to date. It followed 2018’s Gravity, a record considered not up to par by many, but despite this, it was the record that exponentially raised the band’s profile. Now, almost a year later, BFMV has added further value to the already praised Bullet For My Valentine with a Deluxe Edition containing five additional tracks, all of which are perfectly at home alongside “Parasite, “Knives,” and “Shatter.” There is little point rehashing things that have already been said on the bones of the album, though, so we’ll herein focus solely on the additional cuts.

“Omen” clocks in at just under four minutes and is a fast-paced adrenaline rush right from the start. The riffs are swift; the drums are thumping alongside keeping the rhythm, and vocalist Matt Tuck contrasts between a rasping whisper and full-blown metal roar! This is, at least, until the chorus kicks in when Tuck delivers a clearer sound with his lyrics alongside a groovy synth melody. Most will have already heard “Omen,” given it was unleashed to the public back in April.

“Stitches” begins with a distorted flickering tone that would be right at home in a horror movie! This distorted sound continues as Tuck’s clear-yet-hushed vocals join in, accompanied by a piano melody. This short but sweet opening has an eerie beauty to it, but this section is short-lived as the tempo kicks into overdrive as the rest of the band joins, and the song’s tone takes a dramatic left turn into a groovy metal extravaganza layered with speedy guitar riffs, drum beats akin to the energy of a gorilla beating its chest, and a beat down thrown in for good measure. Simply put, if you thought “Oman” was as good as the additional material was going to get, you were gravely mistaken!

Bullet For My Valentine in 2022

Both “No More Tears” and “This Means War” follow a similar pattern to “Omen” and “Stitches” in that they both contain the elements highlighted above with their own spin. And, yes, they are just as enjoyable. “Step Outside From the Inside” is the black sheep of the new material, so to speak. It is a slower, more emotional tune with an acoustic/synth sound that stands apart from its contemporaries. As the track commences towards its end, it becomes more grandiose and almost orchestral in nature before it gradually fades down to its conclusion.

Bullet For My Valentine was amongst a new wave of metal bands that hit at the turn of the century and grew over the following years to be one of the next big names on the scene. It’s clear from this self-titled record that they have now paid their dues and are ready to inspire the next generation to pick up a guitar, bass, sticks or mic and live the same dream!

Bullet For My Valentine (Deluxe Edition) Track Listing:

1. Parasite
2. Knives
3. My Reverie
4. No Happy Ever After
5. Can’t Escape the Waves
6. Bastards
7. Rainbow Veins
8. Shatter
9. Paralysed
10. Death by a Thousand Cuts
11. Omen
12. Stitches
13. No More Tears
14. Step Out From the Inside
15. This Means War

Run Time: 1:08:29
Release Date: August 5, 2022
Record Label: Spinefarm Records