If their fifth album is anything to go by, Bullet for My Valentine have had some bitter experiences in recent times.

For the past 17 years or so, the Welsh band have carved a snug niche as purveyors of furious, unrelenting nu-metal, but as title Venom suggests, this time they mean business.

With lyrics such as “the tables have turned, and it’s no one’s fault but your own”, the quintet’s source of irritation is persistent.

The music itself tends to fall back on cliches, chugging basslines tussling with frantic guitar riffs, and Matt Tuck’s strangled, throaty yelp.

The odd bout of impressively intricate interplay unfortunately doesn’t eliminate the fact that, when all is said and done, this could be any album by any other angry metal band.

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