Metal is underground, and I couldn't be happier.
The last time true metal was big was in the mid 90's, when Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer,
Pantera, and other acts were riding high. Grunge had not affected those bands the way they did the insipid Winger, Warrant, etc, and they enjoyed MTV airtime, and good record sales. Around 1997, ticket sales started to wane as the loud guitar culture shifted towards rap-rock acts as Limp Bizkit, Korn, Hed p.e., and other soundalikes. The likes of Metallica haven't really been seen on MTV a lot, but that's ok. Really.
I have probably gotten into more new bands, and bought more records sight unseen in the last two years than I have ever, and it's mostly thanks to Headbanger's Ball. Revived a few years ago to meet the demands of metal fans everywhere, HB resides in it's original timeslot of 10 to midnight. But the bands! It introduced me to Mastodon, Killswitch Engage, Children of Bodom, Most Precious Blood, Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold, and some others who are slowly growing on me. HB is hosted by Hatebreed singer Jamey Jasta these days, whose laidback approach is a welcome change from original host Rikki Rachtman's uber-syncophantic style. Unfortunately, the quality of the show seems to have waned in the last year. With a few exceptions, there seem to be the same videos every week, and I haven't heard anything that made me really want to run out and pick up the record except for BFMV in the lastsix months. A dry spell, maybe? But like any good "hipster", I love not having my shit invaded my 14 year olds constantly. Not that there's anything wrong with 14 year olds liking this stuff, but hey.....I'm a curmudgeon.
Now......Bullet For My Valentine. These guys hail from Wales, like the LostProphets and Funeral For A Friend. Like the aforementioned bands, they seemed to be buying Testament, Metallica, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden when everybody and their grandmother was listening to the fucking Insane Clown Posse or something. I didn't love the hell out of this record when I picked it up, but it's grown on me like crazy.
There goes my valentine again/Soaked in red for what she said/And now she's gone!
Like fellow younguns Atreyu, BFMV are sensitive boys masked by the buzzsaw guitars, but you shouldn't hold that against them.
Will I just fall to pieces/Or am I alright?/To iron out my creases/You must lacerate me till they’re gone
On BFMV's website, a qoute from singer/guitarist Matthew Tuck asks, "Where the fuck have all the riffs gone?". I hear you, Matt. I had to give BFMV's debut record The Poison (released on Valentine's Day, haha) about 7 or 8 listens, but it's solid from beginning to end. The band is a tight unit, the songs are very good for a debut effort, and the production sounds pretty good. I give The Poison
7 all-ages shows, or a rock solid 17 out of 22 on the 22 scale.
Best songs:
Hand of Blood (from the Hand of Blood EP, get it from Itunes.)
Her Voice Resides
All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
Suffocating Under Words Of Sorrow (What Can I Do?)
Website:http://www.bulletformyvalentine1.com/website/html/news.php
The band will be at the Axis in Boston on May 27th. I'll see you there!
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