The Poison (Red Vinyl)

Bullet for My Valentine hails from the same stomping grounds in South Wales as peers Funeral for a Friend, thus sparking comparisons between the Welsh acts that go further than a fondness for dark, morose band names. It's hard to deny a certain likeness to their Funeral friends throughout The Poison - check out the dynamics of "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow" - but the difference lies with BFMV's songs falling much closer to the metal side of things, chugging harder through emotional lyrics than their melodic counterparts. For fans of Alexisonfire and Atreyu, they employ the glossy, melodic metal-meets-emo aesthetic, utilizing darkly romanticized lyrics that are smoothly sung and growled side-by-side. Bullet for My Valentine's self-proclaimed love of powerful riffs and classic metal is dotted all over their full-length debut ("Room 409," "Spit You Out"), though it begins with a deceivingly tranquil instrumental intro that leads directly into the metalcore realms of "Her Voice Resides." This song is one of many that, despite its rigorous execution, can't hide the fact that the guys are really softies at heart ("my heart is bursting through my chest/ and now I'm crying, the tears are pouring off my face"). Overall, The Poison is a well-produced, solid effort - but seeing as they're now trying to take over American hearts, it would be nice to see future attempts to distinguish themselves more from the new-school pack.

- Corey Apar - allmusic.com