Hand of Blood is the second EP by Welsh band Bullet for My Valentine. The EP is almost the same as the previous. It was released on 22 August 2005 through Trustkill Records, with completely different artwork and slightly altered tracklisting ("4 Words (To Choke Upon)" was track 6 on the Japan version of the self-titled EP). For unknown reasons, this EP is not available in the U.S. version of iTunes, but its hardcopy format was sold in US stores such as Best Buy and F.Y.E.. Hand of Blood included the single "4 Words (To Choke Upon)", accompanied by a music video, along with "Hand of Blood". The songs 4 Words (To Choke Upon) and "Cries in Vain" were later included on the band's full-length debut, The Poison. The title track also appears on some copies of the same album, replacing "Spit You Out".
Appearances in other media
The song, "Hand of Blood" is featured in the video game, Burnout Revenge in the in-game soundtrack, it is as well featured in Need for Speed: Most Wanted. "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" is featured in the soundtrack for NHL 06 and Madden NFL 06, all by EA Games.
Critical reception
Daniel Lukes of Decibel Magazine believed that, although the music itself wasn't bad for what it was, it was, in his opinion, not original enough. He compared the EP to Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu, stating that he thought they wanted to steal their fanbases. He went on to sum up his entire review by stating, "The worst part is that the music itself isn’t all that bad, for the genre." He went on to comment that the band should be "embarrassed" about the release.[1] Zeromag's Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids".[2]
"Damrod" of Sputnikmusic gave the EP a solid 4/5 stars, stating that "the songs are played well and show a lot of potential for the future". He continues to say that the guitar work compliments obvious influences such as Iron Maiden and Metallica, without sounding "like a rip-off of these bands". Damrod continues to compliment the vocal style, noting that the blend between screams and clean vocals in songs "Hand of Blood", and the chorus of "Just Another Star" as great examples of how well combined these two vocal styles are. [3]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Bullet for My Valentine.
|
| 1. |
"4 Words (To Choke Upon)" |
3:44 |
| 2. |
"Hand of Blood" |
3:36 |
| 3. |
"Cries In Vain" |
3:59 |
| 4. |
"Curses" |
3:59 |
| 5. |
"No Control" |
3:34 |
| 6. |
"Just Another Star" |
2:54 |
Total length: |
21:59 |
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|
|
| 7. |
"Turn to Despair" |
3:24 |
Personnel
- Bullet for My Valentine
- Production
References
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| | | Studio albums
and singles |
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| | Non-studio albums |
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| | Related articles | |
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