buLLET FOR mY VALENTINE rise to the occasion at Ally Pally.

OF MICE & MEN/NOTHING MORE/SHVPES

Bridgend’s metal juggernaut get back on the right tracks

2018 HAs BEEn a defining year for Bridgend bruisers Bullet For My Valentine, with sixth album Gravity rejuvenating their future after years of tentative audiences. Closing a victorious year with a headline set packing out the hallowed halls of London’s Alexandra Palace is testament to the success of their brave move towards punchy arena metal. Griffin Dickinson’s sHVPEs bring some contagious elements of new album Greater Than to their opening slot, as Someone Else spits its fire alongside the infectious Afterlife, yet they fail to bring any show-stopping vigour to the table. In contrast, the livid energy of noTHInG MoRE is embodied by their Jim Morrison-alike frontman who shall forever remain shirtless, Jonny Hawkins. He puts on an assertive show of force for Go To War, clambering atop a precarious Mad Max-esque pedalled rig that cranks up a variety of EDM effects with each lever – a strangely welcome presence that raises the roof in the only manner these three-time Grammy nominees know how. Despite older fans still seeking the comfort of ex-vocalist Austin Carlile’s shattering screams, oF MICE & MEn’s 2018 setlist heavily features this year’s full-length Defy to bring their present-day gravitas to light, with frontman Aaron Pauley exhibiting his vast vocal range. Towering Carlile classic Would You Still Be There slams down its size 10s for the old-school contingency while Pauley delivers Unbreakable with a reassurance that their legacy is in capable hands.

Bolstered by a diverse warm-up, BULLET FoR MY VALEnTInE celebrate their history and current hits with equal gusto, taking to the stage flooded in a vibrant neon glow and a release of streamers onto a crowd with open arms. Gravity’s lead single Over It sounds far deeper and grittier in this hall than on record, joining its fresh compatriot Letting You Go on the frontline to demonstrate why the Welsh quartet have made it to the regal venue: their refusal to cookie-cut their entire career. Cavernous classic My Betrayal draws a rapturous response and frontman Matt Tuck gloriously rips the venomous 4 Words (To Choke Upon) through Ally Pally. Just as powerful, You Want A Battle? Here’s A War seethes in its infectious rage, while the timeless Tears Don’t Fall has a grandeur to match the setting. Bullet For My Valentine are back on form, and not a moment too soon.

ALI COOPER