Jump to content

Fever (Bullet for My Valentine album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Rimara (talk | contribs) at 07:32, 2 December 2010 (→‎Reception). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Untitled

Fever is the third studio album by Welsh metalcore band, Bullet for My Valentine. Containing eleven tracks[1], the album was released on April 26 and 27, 2010 in the UK and in the US, respectively. The band will be touring the US this spring to support their new album, starting on April 30, 2010[2]; And also, they will be headlining the second stage at this year's Download Festival, which started in June 2010.[3][4] The album sold 71,000 copies in the US and 21,965 in the UK in its first week of release to debut at position #3 on The Billboard 200 and #1 on Billboard's Rock and Alternative charts, making it the band's most successful record to date.[5][6][7]

Writing and recording

In early 2009, about a year after Bullet for My Valentine released their second studio album, Scream Aim Fire, the band started writing new material. In a March 2009 interview with Metal Hammer, Matthew Tuck stated that on previous albums he had written lyrics for the songs after the band had completed writing instrumental parts; but for Fever, Tuck had been writing both at the same time.[8] Bullet for My Valentine originally entered the studio in April 2009 with producer Don Gilmore (best known for his work with Linkin Park and Good Charlotte) at Monmouth, Wales, and cancelled tour dates in South Africa to continue recording.[9] The band took time off from recording in mid-2009 to perform on various tours including the 2009 Mayhem Festival. During the Mayhem Festival, Bullet for My Valentine included a new song to their live setlist.[10][11] Following their tours, the band returned to studio to finish Fever. Recording was completed in December 2009, and Gilmore began tracking the album shortly thereafter in Malibu, California.[12]

In a March 12, 2010 interview with UK's Metal Hammer magazine, Matthew Tuck stated about the writing and recording process for the new album:

We wanted to do something fresh and exciting, but that was still us. Having Don Gilmore was a very conscious decision. We didn't want him to change us as musicians, just help with the vocals and get the best possible performances out of us. [...] It's a weird thing singing in the studio; you don't get the adrenaline, the energy, the buzz, it's you in front of a microphone looking at a guy staring at you. To get the performances out in the studio was hard, but Don was amazing. We rewrote the lyrics and melodies up to five times on some songs because he didn't think they were strong enough. We worked insanely hard to get the vocal lines different but still Bullet. The vocals took longer than everything else on the album put together. It was brutal work, but I personally thought I had a huge point to prove so that’s why I stuck at it. [...] Everyone's buzzing about this one. We just tried to get that energy and excitement and vibe back into the band because the Scream Aim Fire [2008] sessions just ripped our hearts out of wanting to be in a band.[13]

Guitar Edge had an interview with some members of the band where Matthew Tuck talked about Fever:

[...] The main objective on this album was to please ourselves rather than pleasing other people and critics. We wanted to go into making this album as innocent as you do making your first record, with no expectations and no pressure. Just do what you do. That formula made our first album [The Poison] explode. So even though Scream Aim Fire was successful, we did stray away from that formula that made us who we were in the first place so we wanted to go back and recapture the moment. [...] There was a lot of experimentation in trying new techniques I'd never tried before, but ended up resulting in a better product. I always thought that I knew what was best, but I think I was internally trying to understand that I don't always know what's best and think of the better product. [...] The recording process was tough, but challenging and rewarding. The end result really speaks for itself and I adore it.[14]

Release and promotion

On February 14, 2010, the band offered a new track, "Begging for Mercy", for free download from their official website for a limited time.[1]

The first and lead single for the US, "Your Betrayal", was set for release on March 8, 2010 to the radio[10]; And, unexpectedly, was released early as a Digital 45 on iTunes along with the track "Begging for Mercy" on March 2, 2010.[15]

The second and lead single for the UK, "The Last Fight", was released on April 19, 2010 to the radio[4] and a limited edition 7" single on April 17, 2010 with "Begging for Mercy" as a B-side[16]. The music video was released for the UK on March 12, 2010 on the band's MySpace website, where the song can be heard too.

On February 24, 2010, Bullet for My Valentine were on a trip to Los Angeles to shoot a pair of videos: One clip is for the US lead single "Your Betrayal" (released on April 12, 2010[17]), while the other is for the UK lead single "The Last Fight" (released on March 12, 2010). Director Paul R. Brown (best known for his work with Slipknot and Korn) handled both shoots.[18][19]

In September 2010 on Australian radio , Matt Tuck announced that they would make videos for Bittersweet Memories & Fever.

The music video for Bittersweet Memories was released on the 25th November 2010.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk(41%)[20]
All Metal Music[21]
Allmusic[22]
BBC(Positive)[23]
Billboard(67%)[24]
The Guardian[25]
Kerrang![26]
MusicOMH[27]
MusicReview[28]
PopMatters[29]
Rock Sound[30]
Sputnikmusic[31]
Ultimate Guitar[32]
USA Today[33]

Upon its release, Fever, received mediocre to positive reviews from critics, as reflected from the achieved score of 63/100 based on 11 critic reviews Metacritic[34]. Allmusic states that on this third disc, the band "consolidate their style and split the difference between their two previous discs" and describes the album as "a solid disc by a group that knows its own strengths"[22]. Fever, also, received positive reviews from Kerrang! ("The '5 K-rated' Fever"[26]) and Rock Sound ("[...] There's not a single track here that would create an unpleasant contrast"[30]). Conversely, The New Review gaved the album 2.5 out of 5; disappointed of the band's new record, commented: "[...] As a fan, I'll wait to hear what direction the band takes next, while letting this Fever pass and move on"[35]. PopMatters classifies it as a decent album, as it "[...] maintains the level of quality that Scream Aim Fire had, but doesn’t advance back to their prior level of excellence. [...] There are more good songs than bad [The Last Fight, Pleasure and Pain and Dignity], but the bad songs are very seriously flawed, and will likely stand out more than the positive aspects of the good songs".[29]

Guitar Edge, on their June 2010 magazine, described Fever as one of Bullet for My Valentine hardest hitting albums to date. "[...] It combines the infectious melodies and brute force that listeners expect, but with a new, albeit classic, feel. The album is a sonic masterpiece that showcases the band's phenomenal range of talent"[14]. Noisecreep did a brief review talking about Fever's favorable side:

The Welsh blokes have skyrocketed in recent years, thanks to adept riff displays that fall somewhere along the spectrum between Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium. BFMV and Fever are all about the shred. The choppy first single Your Betrayal rages with the heat of a thousand suns and the album boasts a crisp, clean production where every note is experienced. The Last Fight and the title track marry melody with metallic bluster in a way that never waters down either element.[36]

Along all Fever tracks, one of the most recognized songs by the critics is "Alone". BBC describes it as "[...] the brightest standout, which rocks to a rampaging riff that courses all the way to its core – it's sure to give any listener shivers, such is its magnitude".[23] Billboard fully enjoyed it, saying that "[...] [Alone] offers six minutes of epic ebb-and-flow orchestration"[24]; and among many other critics strongly recommends to listen.[33][20][29] Even critics like AbsolutePunk, who really disliked the album, recognized "Alone" as "the standout track" which its "[..] chorus is sing-along-able and the guitar solo is harmonized and completely brutal!".[20] Other impressive songs are the two first singles, the "strong opening of the album"[35], "Your Betrayal" ("[...] The military drumming of Your Betrayal opens the album with infantry intensity and then some wonderfully crisp riffing gives way to Matt Tuck whispering about insanity"[23]) and "The Last Fight", they both "[...] demonstrate as much from the outset, presenting fast-paced passages before parrying the momentum into upswings of melody"[30]; And, along with the title-track "Fever", create "a brilliant opening trio"[23]. In the other hand, "Bittersweet Memories" did not seemed to be as welcomed as the other tracks, as critics like BBC classified it as a song "[...] with lyrics of childish despair and forlorn desire, the weakest track here"[23]. Or PopMatters, who also disliked the song, thinks it "[...] is absolutely terrible, having more in common with My Chemical Romance than any other band"[29]. The song, however, was one of Allmusic's track picks.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Matthew Tuck; all music is composed by Bullet for My Valentine[37][38][39]

Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."Your Betrayal"4:51
2."Fever"3:57
3."The Last Fight"4:19
4."A Place Where You Belong"5:06
5."Pleasure and Pain"3:53
6."Alone"5:56
7."Breaking Out, Breaking Down"4:04
8."Bittersweet Memories"5:09
9."Dignity"4:29
10."Begging for Mercy"3:56
11."Pretty on the Outside"3:56
Total length:49:33
iTunes pre-order bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."The Last Fight" (Acoustic Version)4:38
Total length:54:11
Japanese version bonus tracks[40][41]
No.TitleLength
12."The Last Fight" (Acoustic Version)4:38
13."Road to Nowhere" (from Scream Aim Fire (Deluxe Edition))4:19
14."Watching Us Die Tonight" (from Scream Aim Fire (Deluxe Edition))3:53
15."One Good Reason Why" (from Scream Aim Fire (Deluxe Edition))4:02
Total length:66:22
Japanese version DVD[41]
No.TitleLength
1."The Last Fight" (Music video) 
2."The Last Fight" (Behind the scenes) 
3."Questions & Answers" 
4."Bullet TV" 
Australian tour edition bonus CD
No.TitleLength
1."4 Words (To Choke Upon)" (Taken from the Hand of Blood EP)3:44
2."Hand of Blood" (Taken from the Hand of Blood EP)3:36
3."Cries in Vain" (Taken from the Hand of Blood EP)3:59
4."Curses" (Taken from the Hand of Blood EP)3:59
5."No Control" (Taken from the Hand of Blood EP)3:34
6."Just Another Star" (Taken from the Hand of Blood EP)2:54
7."Tears Don't Fall (Acoustic)" (Taken from The Poison (Deluxe Edition))4:38
8."The Last Fight (Acoustic)" (iTunes pre-order bonus track from Fever)3:39
9."Hearts Burst into Fire (Acoustic)" (Taken from the Hearts Burst into Fire single)3:57
10."Forever and Always (Acoustic)" (Taken from the Scream Aim Fire single)4:18
11."Say Goodnight (Acoustic)" (Taken from the Waking the Demon single)3:14
UK tour edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Fever" (Live at XFM) 
13."The Last Fight" (Live at XFM) 
14."Bittersweet Memories" (Live at XFM) 
UK tour edition DVD[41]
No.TitleLength
1."Your Betrayal" (Live at Graspop Metal Meeting 2010) 
2."Fever" (Live at Graspop Metal Meeting 2010) 
3."Waking the Demon" (Live at Graspop Metal Meeting 2010) 
4."The Last Fight" (Music video) 
5."Your Betrayal" (Music video) 
6."Bittersweet Memories" (Music video) 
7."Fever" (Music video) 
8."Bittersweet Memories" (Behind the scenes) 
9."Fever" (Behind the scenes) 
10."Fever" (Track by track commentary) 

Release history

Region Date Label
Japan April 21, 2010 (2010-04-21) Jive
Germany April 23, 2010 (2010-04-23)
UK April 26, 2010 (2010-04-26)
US April 27, 2010 (2010-04-27)
Europe April 28, 2010 (2010-04-28)

Chart positions

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[7] 5
Austrian Albums Chart[7] 2
Canadian Albums Chart[6] 4
German Albums Chart[7] 3
Japanese Albums Chart[7] 1
Swiss Albums Chart[7] 7
UK Albums Chart[7] 5
US Billboard 200[5] 3

Personnel

Template:Multicol

Bullet for My Valentine
Additional musicians
  • Matt Bond – piano on "The Last Fight (Acoustic Version)"

Template:Multicol-break

Production[37]
  • Don Gilmore – producer
  • Mark Kiczula – engineering
  • Ginge Martin – engineering
  • Jeff Rose – engineering
  • Tom Manning – assistant recording engineering
  • Simon Jones – assistant recording engineering
  • Darren Jones – assistant recording engineering
  • Kevin Bosley – assistant recording engineering

Template:Multicol-break

Production (continued)

Template:Multicol-end

References

  1. ^ a b "BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE: New Album Title, Release Date Announced". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. February 16, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  2. ^ "BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE starts a headlining U.S. tour on April 30". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. March 12, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  3. ^ "Matt Tuck talks about what you can expect from BFMV's Download set this coming June!". Metal Hammer. March 19, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "Bullet For My Valentine Announce Title Of New Album". Rock Sound. February 16, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b "BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's Fever Cracks U.S. Top 3". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. May 5, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Fever - Bullet for My Valentine". Billboard. May 6, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE: Video Interview With MICHAEL 'PADGE' PAGET". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. May 15, 2010. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
  8. ^ "Bullet For My Valentine Frontman Discusses Songwriting Process For Next Album". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. March 16, 2009. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  9. ^ "Bullet for My Valentine Cancels South African Shows". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. April 8, 2009. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  10. ^ a b "Bullet for My Valentine: 'Your Betrayal' Single To Go For Radio Adds Next Month". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. February 10, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  11. ^ W, Tino (February 22, 2010). "Bullet For My Valentine - Fever". Newspoint.cc (in German). Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  12. ^ "Bullet for My Valentine Completes Work On New Album". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. December 7, 2009. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  13. ^ "Matthew Tuck stated about the writing and recording process for the new CD". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. March 12, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  14. ^ a b Politte, Elliott (June 2010). "Bullet For My Valentine Re-Loaded (Interview)". Guitar Edge. Retrieved May 5, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    Guitar Edge - June 2010 magazine (pp 24-29) "[...] This is the Bullet we've been waiting for."
  15. ^ "Your Betrayal - Single Bullet for My Valentine". Apple Inc. March 2, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "Bullet For My Valentine Celebrate Record Store Day". Rock Sound. April 16, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Your Betrayal Video Premiere". Jive Records. April 12, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ a b "Bullet For My Valentine Shooting Two New Videos". Rochester At Home. February 24, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ a b "Your Betrayal - Music Video Description". Underground Video Television. April 12, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ a b c Nassiff, Thomas (April 24, 2010). "Bullet For My Valentine - Fever". "AbsolutePunk. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  21. ^ http://www.allmetalmusic.co.uk/#/bfmv-fever/4545080368
  22. ^ a b Freeman, Phil. "Review: Fever". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 April 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    "[...] It's a solid disc by a group that knows its own strengths."
  23. ^ a b c d e Rauf, Raziq (April 16, 2010). "Bullet For My Valentine - Fever Review". BBC. Retrieved April 26, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    "[...] This collection will raise the temperatures of metal fans across the globe."
  24. ^ a b Graff, Gary (May 14, 2010). "Bullet for My Valentine, Fever". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    "[...] It's clear on Fever that Bullet for My Valentine is hot to step closer to the metal mainstream."
  25. ^ Dean, Will (April 22, 2010). "Bullet For My Valentine: Fever". "The Guardian". Retrieved April 23, 2010.
    "[...] Fun, but noisy enough to make your parents worry about your ears. And that's the point, isn't it?"
  26. ^ a b "Bullet For My Valentine's fight for metal supremacy!". Kerrang!. April 21, 2010. Retrieved April 21, 2010. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    "Bullet For My Valentine are preparing for their biggest year ever!"
  27. ^ Soghomonian, Talia (April 26, 2010). "Bullet For My Valentine - Fever". MusicOMH. Retrieved April 29, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  28. ^ Pereira, Sergio (May 3, 2010). "Review: Bullet For My Valentine - Fever". MusicReview. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  29. ^ a b c d Colgan, Chris (May 13, 2010). "Bullet for My Valentine: Fever". PopMatters. Retrieved May 31, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ a b c Cartey, Richard (April 25, 2010). "Reviews: Bullet For My Valentine - Fever". Rock Sound. Retrieved April 25, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    "[...] Fever is unlikely to win Bullet For My Valentine more respect amongst their peers, but this could be the album to persuade non-believers."
  31. ^ Spencer, Trey (April 28, 2010). "Bullet For My Valentine - Fever". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved April 29, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    "[...] They've released their best album so far and it's actually pretty entertaining."
  32. ^ "Bullet For My Valentine - Fever". Ultimate Guitar. April 27, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    "[...] It's a feast for the ears if you enjoy hearing various guitar techniques."
  33. ^ a b Edna, Gundersen (April 27, 2010). "Listen Up: B.o.B brings his own blend of everything". USA Today. Retrieved May 2, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    "[...] Download: Alone and The Last Fight"
  34. ^ "Fever, by Bullet for My Valentine". Metacritic. April 27, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  35. ^ a b Westerman, Ben (April 27, 2010). "Bullet For My Valentine - Fever". The NewReview. Retrieved April 30, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  36. ^ "Hard Rock and Metal New Releases -- April 27". Noisecreep. April 27, 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  37. ^ a b Fever (Media notes). Sony Music Entertainment. 2010. p. 10. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |albumlink= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |publisherid= ignored (help)
  38. ^ Karan, Tim (March 15, 2010). "Bullet For My Valentine unveil tracklisting for Fever". Alternative Press. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  39. ^ "Bullet For My Valentine - Fever (Track listing + Tracks' length)". Play.com (UK). April 3, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  40. ^ "フィーヴァー - ブレット・フォー・マイ・ヴァレンタイン" (in Japanese). Apple Inc. April 21, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  41. ^ a b c "Fever (Limited Edition CD/DVD)" (in Japanese). Amazon.com. April 21, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fever_(Bullet_for_My_Valentine_album)&oldid=400085357"