Dean McAdam's verdict: two stars
As a venue the SSE Hydro may be in its infancy, but it is safe to say that the cobwebs have been truly blown away as Bullet for my Valentine brought their raucous set to Glasgow's newest stadium, with the heavy metal powerhouse thundering uncomplicatedly into the night.
Making their second stop on their 'Rule Britannia' arena tour, the boys from Wales seem at home in a stadium atmosphere, dominating the considerable space with relentless guitar riffs, colossal drum beats and punctured, hammering vocals.
Bullet for my Valentine are already established as a lead figure in the British heavy metal scene, and perform after releasing their fourth album, Temper Temper, in February. The set is littered with offerings from all four of their studio albums, providing a full and diverse showing of the group's back catalogue.
Raising Hell provides a no-holds-barred start to proceedings, with the additional pyrotechnics providing extra energy and electricity to an already frantic start. A typically guitar-heavy number, it allows singer Matt Tuck a paced build-up before he delivers some devastatingly raw vocal work.
This breakneck speed is continued with Scream Aim Fire, played in an almost thrash metal fashion, complete with a blistering solo from lead guitarist Michael Paget, creating an impressively captivating introduction to the set.
Almost inevitably however, both the tempo and the quality soon fall by the wayside. Temper Temper is by far the weakest number of the entire set, sticking to a rigid, one-dimensional formula of angst-ridden lyrics disguised by searing riffs. A flat and uninspired rendition, the unchallenging number delivers very little.
Worryingly this trend is repeated throughout the middle of the set, with Bittersweet Memories, Dirty Little Secret and Pleasure & Pain bringing further evidence of a lull, with each number lacking the tempo or rhythm to enhance the set and keep the performance motoring along.
Mirroring the strong introduction, the night is concluded successfully with the popular Tears Don't Fall providing a fitting finish, whilst Ace of Spades is an undoubted highlight with the heavy drums and guitar work delivering a searing version of Motorhead's classic. However, there is little otherwise to cheer on an inconsistent and rather meagre performance.
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