Bullet For My Valentine Lay Out Their Emotions In "Gravity"

Post-hardcore has always been the home for the broken, and that includes the artists as well. Bullet For My Valentine lay out their emotions in Gravity, an album that doesn't break any ground but does see the band deliver some of their most honest and pained material.

Gravity is riddled with self doubt and pain as vocalist Matt Tuck documents his own battles with depression. Songs like 'Under Again' see Tuck battle hopelessness, the chorus wailing "'Cause when I'm losing my head, it feels like I'm going under, under again and again." 'The Very Last Time' addresses someone who used him and subsequently put him in a bad headspace, Tuck angrily but emotionally singing "Your eyes don't lie, a pair of daggers cutting through my mind / Your stare it rips a hole into my life / Am I supposed to leave this all behind?" The lyrics seem more befitting of poetry than anything else, but definitely gets the message across. The record seems to only become more real as it continues, the tracks that are hardest to swallow coming at the end. 'Don't Need You' is the heaviest and angriest track on the record, exploding with riffs and angry screams. Closing track 'Breathe Underwater' is like a final plea, the song more quiet and restrained as Tuck sings painfully.

Sound-wise, Gravity is pretty much what you'd expect from a modern post-hardcore record. Opening track 'Leap Of Faith' really captures that average post-hardcore sound, and though it's formulaic to a degree, it's at least done well. 'Not Dead Yet' gets more stadium-oriented as the gang vocals and guitars ring powerfully, and the drama of title track 'Gravity' plays towards that grandiose vibe as well. Melodies carry 'Letting You Go,' but all of this is really indicative and expected of songs from this genre. As a result, things sort of become stale, even for as honest as the lyrics are (though the words to 'Piece Of Me' certainly don't help the record in any way).

Bullet For My Valentine lay out their emotions in Gravity, facing depression and hardship head on with honesty and real feelings. The record itself is average as far as post-hardcore goes, and though the sound does drag it, the lyrics offer something to really key in on.

Favorite Tracks: Don't Need You, Breathe Underwater

Least Favorite Track: Piece Of Me

Rating: 72 / 100

Stream or buy Gravity on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify: