Releases like this make me hate my job as a volunteer reviewer. Not because Bullet for My Valentine is terribly unlistenable by any means, but because there's a certain demographic (This ain't a scene, it's a goddamn ⦠shut up) that come to this site, just like there is a certain demographic of reviewers that somewhat share the taste of the site's visitors at large. And while Trustkill may have artists with a definite connection to punk, Bullet for My Valentine isn't really one of them.
My first thought in watching The Poison: Live at Brixton was how huge of a following this band commands in their homeland of the UK. Sure, there are videos and behind the scenes footage, but I sat in amazement staring at the Carling Academy Brixton filled to capacity with bouncing, moshing, headbanging fans. Impressive considering I've seen videos on Youtube of My Chemical Romance and similarly awful bands being showered with plastic bottles at UK shows.
Bullet for My Valentine sounds like the result of a small clique of scene kids who decided to start a metal band. Not an insult -- purely perception. Take dramatic emo vocals, heavy riffs and rhythms, and a nü-hardcore approach to songwriting, put in a giant microwavable bowl, zap it, stir for 3-5 minutes, and you have Bullet for My Valentine. I wouldn't recommend high amounts of consumption, though; this kind of music has been known to raise ego levels to unhealthy limits.
That said, the recording quality and audio on this DVD is incredible. The Flying V guitar solos are equally well done. The main problem here is simply the fact that it's Bullet for My Valentine. It's cheesy. It's skin-deep. It's the kind of music that gets blasted through the speakers of your local Hot Topic. And the fake screamy vocals don't even stop when the songs ends, as lead singer Matt Tuck shouts "Oh my God, thank yeeowww!" at the conclusion of "Hand of Blood."
It's hard not to be somewhat impressed by Live at Brixton. Of course, with professionally mixed audio, synchronized stage lights and effects, a dozen hi-definiton cameras, and 5,000 kids going apeshit, it gets a little booster. There's no doubt that Bullet for My Valentine has a place somewhere, whether that be Hot Topic, Headbanger's Ball, or your DVD collection if you happen to already be a fan. However, there's not much here that any punk fan or anyone of more matured taste would find redeeming enough in Live at Brixton.