Hold onto my beer because tonight, we’re heading back to 2006! Bullet For My Valentine and Trivium celebrated 20 years of their breakthrough albums in style delivering an all-gas, no-brakes setlist that feels right at home at London’s O2 Arena.
Words & photos by Felix Bartlett | Feb 02, 2025
When news of the Poison Ascendancy Tour dropped early last year, I—along with everyone who spent the mid-2000s watching Scuzz and Kerrang!—rejoiced at the announcement that not one, but two of metals most influential albums were set to grace UK shores, 20 years after their release.
Tonight was an evening built on the foundation of weekend mornings spent with eyes glued to the TV waiting to hear that first guitar string of Bullet For My Valentine‘s ‘Tears Don’t Fall’ ring out and the opening roar from Trivium’s Matt Heafy in ‘Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr’ shake the screen—blissfully unaware that your mum had been yelling at you to turn it down for the past 10 minutes.
Dropping just months apart, both Bullet For My Valentine and Trivium’s releases sparked a revolution in metalcore. Both albums crafted a sound that blended melodic metalcore with influences from hard rock, heavy metal, and thrash, ultimately shaping the genre into what it’s become today.
Over the years, both bands have continued to build respect for the legacies they’ve created, and tonight, that journey has culminated in the epic Poison Ascendancy tour.
Before the night can descend into metalcore chaos, the night is kicked off with a strong opening from Swedish metal outfit Orbit Culture, serving as a notably heavier start to the evening but nonetheless, a set that is equally as epic as the ones about to come.
Trivium are first up tonight to serve the opening hit of a nostalgic, riff-driven, room-spinning set. For what promises to be one of the heavier performances of the evening, 2005’s first track ‘The End of Everything’ serves as an ominous intro. It feels much more chilling on the live stage as the apocalyptic vibes echo throughout the arena.
The anticipation pays off exceptionally well (as you’d expect) and builds straight into the explosive opening riff of ‘Rain’. Grinning from ear to ear, tongue out, and devil horns raised high, lead vocalist Matt Heafy looks as ecstatic as the fans in the crowd tonight. And rightly so—this is a band that has ascended to legendary status and earned their place on one of the UK’s biggest stages.
Of course, with this being one of the band’s largest UK shows to date, it would be criminal not to have a few surprises up their sleeves. That surprise was served to fans at the halfway point of the set, with the ‘A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation’ drum solo intro paving the way for the album cover’s Demon Zombie to inflate and tower over the stage. It was a powerful homage to the absolute belter that was ‘Ascendancy’.
The character continued to loom in the background as Trivium tore through the remainder of the album and stage with relentless energy. Heafy and guitarist Corey Beaulieu dove into duelling solos, leaving the riffs still ringing in my ears long after the set.
Now, we know this tour was dedicated to the two bands’ breakthrough albums, but of course, the temptation to throw in a couple of their biggest hits during the encore was just too tantalising to resist.
As Trivium closed the first of the two sets with ‘Declaration’, followed by a ‘Pull Harder’ riff outro, fans—clearly eager for more (who wouldn’t be?)—were treated to what is sure to go down in the band’s history as the most epic set closer, with ‘Capsizing the Sea’ splitting the room in two for ‘In Waves’.
Now, who’s ready for round two? The Welsh powerhouse Bullet For My Valentine didn’t bring out any inflatables but instead opted for a more minimalist setup (though that’s not to say it was any less visually impressive), letting their electrifying light show do the heavy lifting, accompanied by a flurry of flames.
A video package celebrating the band’s legacy sets the stage for Bullet —adding weight to the moment and serving as a powerful reminder of their incredible journey.
Where Trivium’s Ascendancy serves as a more unified album, Bullet For My Valentine’s The Poison strikes a different balance, with triumphant sing-along anthems like ‘Tears Don’t Fall,’ ‘All These Things I Hate’, and ‘4 Words (To Choke Upon)’, which shaped the scene and pack a bigger punch than other tracks on the record. These anthems define Bullet’s sound, capturing the essence of early 2000s metalcore and making the audience feel like they’re part of something much larger than just a concert.
While some may argue that this doesn’t match the high-octane energy of Trivium’s set, it’s the lulls between those epic anthems that make Bullet’s performance so unique. These quieter moments offer a chance for reflection and connection, giving the audience a break before launching back into the next wave of intensity. It’s this dynamic flow that delivers a listening experience fans are unlikely to hear again, making Bullet’s set truly unforgettable.
Much like Trivium, fans of Bullet were treated to two additional tracks not featured on ‘The Poison’ with ‘Knives’ and ‘Waking the Demon,’ closing what is undoubtedly the Welsh band’s biggest and boldest show to date.
Twenty years on, both bands vowed to deliver one of their biggest and best shows to date. Last night, they did just that, showing this wasn’t just another anniversary show. The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour was an event that gave the audience an opportunity to dive back into the history of these two legendary bands and celebrate the enduring impact of two of the most pioneering albums, both of which continue to define their genre to this day.
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