Seems like plenty bands are taking the James Hetfield/Metallica approach these days, with recent releases from such bands as Trivium and even Paradise Lost sounding almost more like vintage Metallica than Metallica have in years. Add the latest from Bullet For My Valentine to that list. Scream Aim Fire is an enjoyable modern metal release, filled with enough 80's trash and classic metal references (the Hetfield-like vocals, crunchy riffage, and Iron Maiden styled twin harmonies) to please the old school fans, but with a fair amount of sing along melodies to appeal to the emo crowd, as well as crushing breakdowns and growls to also give a nod to the metalcore crowd. Let's face it, Michael 'Padge' Paget is a talented guitar player, his blistering & tasty licks permeating songs like the title track, the catchy "Eye of the Storm", and the furious "Waking the Demon", as his lead lines swirl alongside the harmony & rhythm guitar riffs of singer Matt Tuck. This band can not only rock out, but can also go for more radio-friendly material, such as the hook laden "Hearts Burst Into Fire", "Deliver Us From Evil", and the emotional yet dark ballad "Say Goodbye". Personally, I almost prefer their brand of technical yet melodic metalcore, which you can hear on tracks like "Last to Know" and "End of Days", which combine both clean melodic vocals with harsh hardcore screams, pummeling riffs, intricate lead fills, and crashing rhythms.
No matter what way you look at it, Scream Aim Fire is a solid and extremely varied modern metal release, which has a little something for every fan of the genre. These Brits have put together a batch of memorable songs that rock hard but are commercially appealing, with plenty of instrumental gusto to appeal to the guitar hero crowd as well. Alongside Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet For My Valentine are helping prove that pop, metal, hardcore, and guitar theatrics can be combined successfully.
Track Listing
1. Scream Aim Fire
2. Eye Of The Storm
3. Hearts Burst Into Fire
4. Waking The Demon
5. Disappear
6. Deliver Us from Evil
7. Take It Out On Me
8. Say Goodnight
9. End Of Days
10. Last To Know
11. Forever And Always
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