LIVE REVIEW: Bullet For My Valentine @ Alexandra Palace, London

With their new album Gravity dividing opinions, it’s starting to feel like some are eagerly awaiting for BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE to fall. The band were once touted as future Download Festival headliners and now on this two date UK arena run it feels like they are a long way from that now. But with Gravity it feels like this could be the start of a new chapter for BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE.

Openers SHVPES fall completely flat tonight. It might be due to their early set time and incredibly short slot but they fail to make any lasting impact. Their energy and passion cannot be faulted but nothing else stands out. Their genre mashing tunes sound incredibly dated with certain moments sounding like the worst parts of nu metal. Perhaps in a different setting these songs might translate better but it’s hard to see how anyone could have found this set exciting.

Rating: 4/10

NOTHING MORE do a better job of standing out. Their US radio rock hits sound tailor made for rooms this size. And the band just have a weird flair to them which really does add to their set. A lot of this is down to vocalist Jonny Hawkins whose stage presence and charisma really does elevate everything NOTHING MORE do. Whilst their songs aren’t hugely original there is a lot more personality than a lot of other US radio bands, with Go To War being a real stand out in the set. And of course the use of The Scorpion Tail at the end of their set adds some real spectacle. As this scrap metal structure raises into the air and the band perform a SKRILLEX cover it is certainly a unique way to end the set.

Rating: 7/10

OF MICE & MEN really kick things up another level. Having now really gelled as a four piece the band sound like a wrecking ball crashing through Alexandra Palace. Warzone proves to be a very apt song title with the first real mosh pits of the night opening up. It does still feel like they are slightly lacking in a true frontman on stage but as a band they just sound better than ever. It isn’t surprising that they lean heavily on their latest album Defy but again these songs just sound like they fit more when playing on bigger stages. Still as they close with The Depths it’s a reminder of what a rager that song is, support bands should probably be banned from trying a crouch down and jump up moment though. But this is a minor complaint in what was otherwise the best set of the night.

Rating: 8/10

Finally it was time for BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, whilst their new album Gravity might have felt divisive it quickly becomes very clear how much this band are still loved by their fans. Opening with a combo of Leap Of Faith and Over It shows the band’s confidence in this new material and their stage show definitely adds to these songs. It’s a shame the electronic elements added in are clearly on a backing track as having these incorporated into the live show could have made these songs feel even bigger. Still all the new material does stand out more live. Whilst the set does focus heavily on the last two albums there are still moments where BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE dive back into the past. The early combination of Your Betrayal and 4 Words (To Choke Upon) is a definite highlight in the set.

It’s a shame that there isn’t more of the classic BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE material in the set with the first three albums only getting a few songs each. It won’t come as a shock that Temper Temper is completely ignored in this set. As much as the new songs do sound better live the highlights always came from the older material. There are a few moments that really hurt the pacing of the set too. As impressive a drummer as Jason Bowld is, his drum solo feels entirely unnecessary. Still it’s hard to be too negative when they close with the unbeatable one two of Tears Don’t Fall and Waking The Demon. Even if they aren’t quite at the level they once were, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE can still bring it live. Matt Tuck‘s enthusiasm for the new material really does help it live and perhaps if they can build on this, they might find themselves clawing their way back up the UK metal scene.

Rating: 7/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in London from Karolina Janikunaite here: