Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (20th Anniversary) [Red]

Bullet for My Valentine mark twenty years of The Poison with this limited deluxe anniversary edition, freshly remastered and pressed on red 180-gram vinyl.

Released in 2005, the Welsh band's debut album arrived as metalcore was exploding, and it quickly set them apart. Produced by Colin Richardson and recorded between England and Wales, it married thrash-speed riffing and twin-guitar harmonies with huge, melodic choruses, and its swing between clean singing and raw screams helped shape a generation of heavy bands. It went on to be counted among the defining metal debuts of its decade.

The opening intro, featuring cellos from Apocalyptica, gives way to the frantic charge of Her Voice Resides. 4 Words (To Choke Upon) is a whirlwind of shredding and breakdowns, and All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me) eases off into a brooding, anthemic power ballad with a chorus made for arenas. Then there is Tears Don't Fall, perhaps their signature song, building from a delicate opening into one of the most cathartic choruses in modern metal.

For anyone who wore out this record the first time around, the anniversary edition is a welcome excuse to hear it fresh. Two decades later, it still hits like a battering ram, from the first cello note to the last.