Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their respective breakthrough albums: ‘The Poison’, and ‘Ascendency’, Bullet For My Valentine and Trivium are in Birmingham tonight to perform both albums in full. on their aptly titled: ‘The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour‘.
It was only 18 months ago that I first saw Trivium at Nottingham Rock City—an intimate affair compared to what’s in store tonight, but one that I really enjoyed. Being a relatively new fan of the Floridian quartet, I’ve been looking forward to seeing them in this environment, especially after filling my boots with ‘Ascendency’ during the last few weeks.

As ‘The End of Everything’ plays out, the massive arena reception beckons the thrashing chaos of ‘Rain’, followed by the colossal early highlight ‘Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr’. Frontman Matt Heafy knows how to get a crowd hyped up—just tell them the previous audience was the best on the tour so far! At the mention of “Manchester”, the Birmingham gathering have none of it, particularly those occupying the snake pit who really go for it during ‘Drowned and Torn Asunder’.
Revelling in the opportunity to dish up their 2005 studio album track by track, Heafy talks about those songs written 20 years ago—himself only 18 years old at the time— and how they still have the same meaning to him. There’s heartfelt respect and thanks to Bullet For A Valentine for the journey they are on together, before the title track ‘Ascendency’ welcomes us with melodic open arms, prior to its punch in the face.

Trivium’s ability to balance technical precision with raw emotion shines throughout. With Heafy’s commanding vocals and Corey Beaulieu’s intense lead work, every track does sound as fresh and ferocious as it did two decades ago. Driven by Paolo Gregoletto and Alex Bent, from the blistering intensity of ‘A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation’ to the soaring chorus of ‘Dying in Your Arms’, this is a collection of tracks which mean so much to their loyal fans.
Enhanced by a fantastic light show, the album cover artwork comes to life with a giant inflatable tormented entity towering across the back of the stage—it’s a true visual spectacle. Closing with the anthemic final album track ‘Declaration’, the band return for a monumental ‘In Waves’—with its legendary chorus screamed back at them. They leave to an almighty roar, having set the bar impossibly high for what is to follow.

The video wall shows archive footage before the introduction to ‘The Poison’ resonates around the arena. Visuals switch to the alien artwork from the 2021 eponymous album, when I last saw BFMV in Nottingham. This serves well to signify this is “Bullet 2.0” here to celebrate what came before, and as they unleash ‘Her Voice Resides’ in all its galloping, high-octane glory, it’s a sure sign they are not to be outdone on this momentous double-header.
At the start of ‘4 Words (To Choke Upon)’ Matt Tuck makes he way along the walkway to the crowd situated beyond the snake pit. Wearing a Cannibal Corpse t-shirt—instant bonus for any extreme metal fan— he takes up position, with his voice strong and assured. Jamie Mathias follows suit to deliver both melodic and raucous supporting vocals, while Michael Paget’s need to move forward is less eager, as he takes time to interact with pit dwellers along the way.

Commanding his crowd with effortless charisma, Tuck says “It’s great to be back!” and explains his appreciation for how Birmingham has always welcomed Bullet since their debut album days. The classic ‘Tears Don’t Fall’ is given an acoustic intro and crowd singalong, up to and including the scream of “Let’s Gooooo!” The song of a generation has the entire venue erupt into the massive chorus, and exhilarated to the end with the twin guitar attack of Tuck and ‘Padge’.
The only slight dampener on the night comes when ‘Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow’ is abandoned midway through, and the band temporarily leave the stage. By all accounts, a fan has been injured. Upon their return, Tuck reassures the crowd that the audience’s wellbeing takes priority, though he wryly hopes the next track, ‘Hit The Floor’, isn’t poorly timed—earning him an appreciative laugh.

‘All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)’ provides an emotive breather, before the heavier cut ‘Room 409’ showcases Bullet’s enduring power, with Jason Bowld’s drumming adding an extra layer of thundering intensity. “This tour has been a long time coming with the boys from Trivium” says Tuck before dedicating ‘The Poison’ to their metal counterparts.
By the time ‘The End’ brings the set to a close, fans are left not only exhausted but elated, and desperate for more. Which is just as well as there is still time for a final raging attack of ‘Knives’ and ‘Waking The Demon’. The pit surges one last time, bodies colliding in a frenzy, and Bullet close out the night in truly blistering fashion.

The two albums celebrated tonight don’t just define an era—they shaped a generation. ‘The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour’ is far more than a nostalgia trip; it’s a testament to the lasting impact of these records and the bands behind them. With Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine delivering performances as fierce and electrifying as ever, this tour simply reaffirms why they remain giants in the metal world.
Review & Photography: Steve Johnston