Welsh melodic metalcore quartet, Bullet for My Valentine, was a worthy co-headliner and powerhouse live act last night at the sold-out The Factory STL show. They proved yet again why they have achieved significant sales success since their debut release in 2005, earning critical acclaim from Kerrang! Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods Award for Best UK Band, opening slots in support of behemoths like Metallica, and more for their 20+-year career.
Like Trivium, Bullet for My Valentine stands among the crème de la crème of the modern standard bearers of the new metal crown. Their fervent fan base and their own fresh, winning, and innovative take on the established genre, as documented throughout their seven studio albums, have significantly influenced the metal scene.
After sterling and punishing sets from Pennsylvania’s August Burns Red and Glasgow, Scotland’s Bleed From Within, the crowd was more than primed and ready for the titans of British metal–Bullet for My Valentine.
As a video preroll displayed footage of Bullet For My Valentine accepting multiple music awards, snippets of interviews with lead vocalist and guitarist Matthew “Matt” Tuck, and blazing red logos and flashing lights, the lads from Wales, took the stage to a massively crazy response of screaming, yells, and applause, as the intro, “The Poison” played. The band’s energy was infectious, and the crowd responded with equal fervor, creating a truly electrifying shared experience.
Matthew “Matt” Tuck, with his buff, bearded, gym-rat appearance, was the quintessential handsome, virile, commanding metal god. His stage presence, along with the band’s, was intense and captivating, leaving the audience in awe. The band tore through 12 tracks, plus two encores: “Knives” and “Waking the Demons.” The aptly-titled number, “Hit The Floor,” upped the ante, and tracks like “Cries in Vain” met with fan approval, further intensifying the performance.
As many already knew, either Trivium or Bullet for the Valentine could easily trade headlining slots on any given night, but it hardly mattered. All four bands were worthy of the fan’s hard-earned dollars and reverence, and batting order mattered not.
