6 Key Things Bullet For My Valentine Need To Do To Save Their Fanbase

6. Continue A Noticeable Progression Between Albums

Bullet Matt There are two routes you can take with harsher genres of music, you either perfect the formula you€™ve built a career on and keep carving out your own notch in the pantheon of greats ala AC/DC, Airbourne, Steel Panther, Slayer etc., or you inject some semblance of progression as you move forward. What you cannot ever do, is move backwards, producing more simplistic songs in the same genre you€™ve already got a recognisable presence, resembling that of a cover band attempting to emulate the real deal. It can take a variety of forms, from smoothing/rationing out divisive elements such as harsh/screaming vocals to reach a wider audience, experimenting with structures, types of song-styles, even completely different genres, but the €˜essence€™ of the band should always ring true regardless. When Metallica put Fade to Black on 1984€™s Ride the Lightning, thrash-fans cried foul even then at its dynamic composition, but that song was created with such a devout passion and purpose, it€™s become one of their all-time best. The same thing was true with 1991€™s Black Album, the work that many view as taking metal to the mainstream, and proving you could have tracks as bone-powderingly heavy as Sad But True and The God That Failed on an album that would do the same requisite destruction to the Billboard charts. Regardless of the direction the Metallica were taking, they remained distinctly themselves, whereas when Bullet€™s Fever album put a hole in their otherwise solid hull, Temper Temper sank the whole ship.
Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.