Certain musical styles require an opposition. Without the necessary grit and disgruntled listeners criticizing bands through thinly veiled smug superiority, genres like rock ‘n’ roll, particularly metal, would simply have faded from this world. The Welsh group Bullet for My Valentine turns in such a direction with its fourth studio album. Lacking an edge, Temper Temper fails to live up to the expectations set forth by the bloodied hands on the cover and emerges a confused, uninteresting LP.
“Breaking Point” does kick the album into gear on a positive note. Frontman Matthew Tuck’s screams lead into racing guitar riffs that serve as an intro into the surprisingly smooth Hammurabian clichés of “an eye for an eye” that make up the chorus.
Still, the song is missing realistic anger and frustration. The riffs are not quite as distorted as they could be to properly convey any passion, becoming more akin to a mellow duet with a cowbell than the expected thrashing foreshadowed by Tuck’s guttural howling. Similarly, the solo lacks any nuance, featuring a significant segment of legato notes and repetitive scales.
Even the title track appears largely sanitary and manufactured, a sentiment that comes through clearly in spite of the distortion and addictive, powerful riffs. The momentum builds to nothing, falling flat in the end: “Temper, temper, time to explode,” growls Tuck, though the time in question never comes.
While it lacks this explosion, Temper Temper does pick up steam toward its conclusion. “Tears Don’t Fall, Pt. 2” responds to the original critically acclaimed 2006 single with a step toward proper emotion. Subdued vocals and weak instrumental sections still drain most feeling, though frustrated hoarse whispering leads into a properly impressive guitar solo toward the track’s end.
Despite all attempts at reviving the album, “Tears Don’t Fall, Pt. 2” fails to save the LP from sliding into debased pop music. In and of itself, the oft-criticized pop genre is not problematic until, like Temper Temper, it becomes unrelatable and uninspired. Ultimately, Bullet For My Valentine commits the greatest atrocity known to heavy metal: being tame.
