Bullet for My Valentine
Encyclopedia
Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal
band from Bridgend
, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica
and Nirvana
. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic heavy metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden
, and Slayer
. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene
.
Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison
, was released on October 3, 2005 in the United Kingdom and on February 14, 2006 in the United States to coincide with Valentine's Day
hence their band name. The album entered the Billboard 200
in the US at number 128. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
. The band made appearances at the Download Festival
and Kerrang!
XXV, and undertook a US tour with Rob Zombie
. Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim Fire
, was released on January 29, 2008 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The band's third album, Fever
, was released on April 26, 2010 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The band has sold over one million albums in the United States and nearly 2,500,000 albums worldwide and are the most-successful act in the Kerrang! Awards category of "Best British Band" with three wins.
. Playing Nirvana
and Metallica
cover songs, the band released a two-track EP
in 2002, You/Play with Me, which was produced by Greg Haver. The EP was financed through the Pynci scheme for new Welsh musicians and the release garnered radio airplay on BBC Radio 1
's broadcast at Newport
's T.J.'s
. Jeff Killed John's music followed the nu metal
trend set by bands such as Korn
and Limp Bizkit
. Bassist Crandle left the band on the eve of entering the recording sessions for You/Play with Me and was replaced by Jason James. The band then changed their name to Bullet for My Valentine and reworked their musical strategy; they decided to play thrash metal songs with "harmony guitars and big angelic choruses" according to frontman Tuck.
Roadrunner Records
showed interest in Bullet for My Valentine and offered the band a deal. The offer was ultimately turned down, and the band signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG and a UK licensing deal with Visible Noise
. According to Tuck, they chose Sony because, "We thought that a lot more doors would be open to us." A self-titled
EP was released on 15 November 2004 in the UK. Produced by Colin Richardson
, it featured five tracks and marked the band's first official release. A second EP, Hand of Blood
, was released on 22 August 2005 through Trustkill Records
and was only available in the US; the release contained one extra track than the self-titled EP, "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
". Daniel Lukes of Decibel Magazine
reviewed the EP 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. Zeromag's Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids".
Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison
, was released on 3 October 2005 in the UK and on Valentine's Day, 2006 in the US. It entered the Billboard 200
at number 128, and attained number 11 on the Independent Albums
chart. On 30 January 2009, the album was certified gold by the RIAA
after 500,000 copies were sold in the US. Four singles were released from The Poison: "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
", "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
", "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
", and "Tears Don't Fall
". Bullet for My Valentine promoted the album by touring across the world. In 2005, with increased popularity, they played on the larger Download Festival
Snickers stage; in 2006, the band were moved to near the top of the main stage bill. Other tours included opening for Metallica and Guns N' Roses
in the summer of 2006, the Vans Warped Tour, Kerrang! tour, and Earthday Birthday. The band's performance at the Brixton Academy in London on 28 January 2006, was filmed for their first DVD, The Poison: Live at Brixton
. During June 2007, Tuck suffered from laryngitis
, which let to an emergency tonsillectomy
in July. Bullet for My Valentine were forced to cancel several shows, including supporting Metallica
for three dates on their Sick of the Studio '07 tour on 29 June in Bilbao
, 5 July in Vienna, and 8 July at the recently completed Wembley Stadium
in London. Unable to speak, Tuck wrote that as soon as doctors cleared him he would be in the studio working on the band's next album.
, was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios and was produced by Colin Richardson
. Tuck commented at the time, "It's a lot more up tempo
, a lot more aggressive". The album was released in the US on 29 January 2008. It sold 53,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200
. Three songs were released as singles: "Scream Aim Fire", "Hearts Burst into Fire", and "Waking the Demon".
In support of the new album, the band toured North America and Australia in the spring of 2008 for the Taste of Chaos
tour alongside Atreyu
, Blessthefall
, and Avenged Sevenfold
. Bullet for My Valentine cut short the Canada portion of the tour and flew back home to support the daughter of James who was in hospital. The band performed in North America again in the summer of 2008 as part of the No Fear
Tour with Bleeding Through
, Cancer Bats
, and Black Tide
. In late 2008, the band toured Europe, supported by Lacuna Coil
, Bleeding Through
, and Black Tide
. In December 2008, Scream Aim Fire was re-released with four bonus tracks that were recorded during the album's studio sessions, but with re-recorded vocal-lines.
Matt Tuck spoke to Daniel Marez of Metal Hammer
in March 2009 about the band's progress on writing and recording their third album. Tuck stated that there were four or five songs that were finished and that "usually we write and record 14 tracks that I then have to write vocal lines for, but this time I’m trying to write the vocals as I write the music". Bullet for My Valentine confirmed in August 2009 that they were aiming for an early 2010 release for the new album, while Tuck stated that the upcoming record is "a lot more mature-sounding, it's a lot more classic. It'll stand the test of time [more] than both the previous things we've done". In a January 2010 interview with Rock Sound
, Tuck stated explained details for the album; it would be titled Fever
and that the 11-track record would have a sound closer to The Poison
rather than Scream Aim Fire
and would be absent of ballad
s.
During the summer of 2009, Bullet for My Valentine toured across the United States as part of the Mayhem Festival
, alongside Killswitch Engage
, Slayer
, and Marilyn Manson
on the main stage; they also appeared on the UK leg of the Sonisphere tour at Knebworth, headlining the second stage. The band will be headlining the second stage at the Download Festival 2010 on the Friday night. The band has also been confirmed for Nova Rock, Metaltown, Rock am Ring, Rock on the Range
, The Bamboozle
, Bilbao Live Festival
, Fortarock and Graspop. In addition, they will be playing alongside the Big Four on the Greek leg of Sonisphere. Fever was released on 27 April 2010. A free download of a new track called "Begging For Mercy" was released on the band's website on 14 February
, 2010 as part of a Twitter promotion. The song "Your Betrayal
" was chosen as the lead single for the album and was set to release on 9 March 2010, but, unexpectedly, was released earlier on 2 March 2010 as a digital single on iTunes Store
. The second single is called "The Last Fight
" and was released on 19 April. The album artwork for this studio album was released on the official website on 5 March 2010. Bullet for My Valentine announced the start their US tour in support of Fever. It began on 30 April with the bands Airbourne
and Chiodos
as support. On 12 March the band released the music videos for "The Last Fight" and "Your Betrayal". The band revealed the track listing on their website on March 15, as well as other various sources that include an email to all of their subscribers on the mailing list. On 26 April the band played a secret show in London to celebrate the release of Fever. This was their only UK headline show until the end of the year.
, after which they intend to begin writing material for a fourth studio album. The band hopes to release the album sometime in 2012.
On October 7, RCA Music Group
announced it was disbanding Jive Records
along with Arista Records
and J Records
. With the shutdown, the band (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release their future material (including their next studio album) on the RCA Records
brand.
, metalcore
and thrash metal
. The band has cited being influenced by bands such as Metallica
, Annihilator
, Pantera
, Machine Head
, Iron Maiden
, Guns N' Roses
, Testament
, Stuck Mojo
, Slayer
, Judas Priest
, and Megadeth
. These bands inspire Bullet for My Valentine's "catchy vocals, aggressive riffs and melodies," according to Thomas. The band describe two of their albums, The Poison and Fever, as having a "super dark" tone, Tuck went on to state that "…we're a hard rock
band with metal influences, and I’ve said that from Day One.”
Kirk Miller of Decibel Magazine praised the band for the effort in synchronised song structures. When asked of their views on their looks, members of the band have stated that they would not change their sound or image for a commercial approach; Tuck also commented that, "Without sounding harsh, we're more interested in what our music sounds like than what our fucking hair looks like."
Former members
Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal
band from Bridgend
, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica
and Nirvana
. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic heavy metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden
, and Slayer
. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene
.
Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison
, was released on October 3, 2005 in the United Kingdom and on February 14, 2006 in the United States to coincide with Valentine's Day
hence their band name. The album entered the Billboard 200
in the US at number 128. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
. The band made appearances at the Download Festival
and Kerrang!
XXV, and undertook a US tour with Rob Zombie
. Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim Fire
, was released on January 29, 2008 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The band's third album, Fever
, was released on April 26, 2010 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The band has sold over one million albums in the United States and nearly 2,500,000 albums worldwide and are the most-successful act in the Kerrang! Awards category of "Best British Band" with three wins.
. Playing Nirvana
and Metallica
cover songs, the band released a two-track EP
in 2002, You/Play with Me, which was produced by Greg Haver. The EP was financed through the Pynci scheme for new Welsh musicians and the release garnered radio airplay on BBC Radio 1
's broadcast at Newport
's T.J.'s
. Jeff Killed John's music followed the nu metal
trend set by bands such as Korn
and Limp Bizkit
. Bassist Crandle left the band on the eve of entering the recording sessions for You/Play with Me and was replaced by Jason James. The band then changed their name to Bullet for My Valentine and reworked their musical strategy; they decided to play thrash metal songs with "harmony guitars and big angelic choruses" according to frontman Tuck.
Roadrunner Records
showed interest in Bullet for My Valentine and offered the band a deal. The offer was ultimately turned down, and the band signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG and a UK licensing deal with Visible Noise
. According to Tuck, they chose Sony because, "We thought that a lot more doors would be open to us." A self-titled
EP was released on 15 November 2004 in the UK. Produced by Colin Richardson
, it featured five tracks and marked the band's first official release. A second EP, Hand of Blood
, was released on 22 August 2005 through Trustkill Records
and was only available in the US; the release contained one extra track than the self-titled EP, "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
". Daniel Lukes of Decibel Magazine
reviewed the EP 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. Zeromag's Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids".
Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison
, was released on 3 October 2005 in the UK and on Valentine's Day, 2006 in the US. It entered the Billboard 200
at number 128, and attained number 11 on the Independent Albums
chart. On 30 January 2009, the album was certified gold by the RIAA
after 500,000 copies were sold in the US. Four singles were released from The Poison: "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
", "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
", "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
", and "Tears Don't Fall
". Bullet for My Valentine promoted the album by touring across the world. In 2005, with increased popularity, they played on the larger Download Festival
Snickers stage; in 2006, the band were moved to near the top of the main stage bill. Other tours included opening for Metallica and Guns N' Roses
in the summer of 2006, the Vans Warped Tour, Kerrang! tour, and Earthday Birthday. The band's performance at the Brixton Academy in London on 28 January 2006, was filmed for their first DVD, The Poison: Live at Brixton
. During June 2007, Tuck suffered from laryngitis
, which let to an emergency tonsillectomy
in July. Bullet for My Valentine were forced to cancel several shows, including supporting Metallica
for three dates on their Sick of the Studio '07 tour on 29 June in Bilbao
, 5 July in Vienna, and 8 July at the recently completed Wembley Stadium
in London. Unable to speak, Tuck wrote that as soon as doctors cleared him he would be in the studio working on the band's next album.
, was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios and was produced by Colin Richardson
. Tuck commented at the time, "It's a lot more up tempo
, a lot more aggressive". The album was released in the US on 29 January 2008. It sold 53,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200
. Three songs were released as singles: "Scream Aim Fire", "Hearts Burst into Fire", and "Waking the Demon".
In support of the new album, the band toured North America and Australia in the spring of 2008 for the Taste of Chaos
tour alongside Atreyu
, Blessthefall
, and Avenged Sevenfold
. Bullet for My Valentine cut short the Canada portion of the tour and flew back home to support the daughter of James who was in hospital. The band performed in North America again in the summer of 2008 as part of the No Fear
Tour with Bleeding Through
, Cancer Bats
, and Black Tide
. In late 2008, the band toured Europe, supported by Lacuna Coil
, Bleeding Through
, and Black Tide
. In December 2008, Scream Aim Fire was re-released with four bonus tracks that were recorded during the album's studio sessions, but with re-recorded vocal-lines.
Matt Tuck spoke to Daniel Marez of Metal Hammer
in March 2009 about the band's progress on writing and recording their third album. Tuck stated that there were four or five songs that were finished and that "usually we write and record 14 tracks that I then have to write vocal lines for, but this time I’m trying to write the vocals as I write the music". Bullet for My Valentine confirmed in August 2009 that they were aiming for an early 2010 release for the new album, while Tuck stated that the upcoming record is "a lot more mature-sounding, it's a lot more classic. It'll stand the test of time [more] than both the previous things we've done". In a January 2010 interview with Rock Sound
, Tuck stated explained details for the album; it would be titled Fever
and that the 11-track record would have a sound closer to The Poison
rather than Scream Aim Fire
and would be absent of ballad
s.
During the summer of 2009, Bullet for My Valentine toured across the United States as part of the Mayhem Festival
, alongside Killswitch Engage
, Slayer
, and Marilyn Manson
on the main stage; they also appeared on the UK leg of the Sonisphere tour at Knebworth, headlining the second stage. The band will be headlining the second stage at the Download Festival 2010 on the Friday night. The band has also been confirmed for Nova Rock, Metaltown, Rock am Ring, Rock on the Range
, The Bamboozle
, Bilbao Live Festival
, Fortarock and Graspop. In addition, they will be playing alongside the Big Four on the Greek leg of Sonisphere. Fever was released on 27 April 2010. A free download of a new track called "Begging For Mercy" was released on the band's website on 14 February
, 2010 as part of a Twitter promotion. The song "Your Betrayal
" was chosen as the lead single for the album and was set to release on 9 March 2010, but, unexpectedly, was released earlier on 2 March 2010 as a digital single on iTunes Store
. The second single is called "The Last Fight
" and was released on 19 April. The album artwork for this studio album was released on the official website on 5 March 2010. Bullet for My Valentine announced the start their US tour in support of Fever. It began on 30 April with the bands Airbourne
and Chiodos
as support. On 12 March the band released the music videos for "The Last Fight" and "Your Betrayal". The band revealed the track listing on their website on March 15, as well as other various sources that include an email to all of their subscribers on the mailing list. On 26 April the band played a secret show in London to celebrate the release of Fever. This was their only UK headline show until the end of the year.
, after which they intend to begin writing material for a fourth studio album. The band hopes to release the album sometime in 2012.
On October 7, RCA Music Group
announced it was disbanding Jive Records
along with Arista Records
and J Records
. With the shutdown, the band (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release their future material (including their next studio album) on the RCA Records
brand.
, metalcore
and thrash metal
. The band has cited being influenced by bands such as Metallica
, Annihilator
, Pantera
, Machine Head
, Iron Maiden
, Guns N' Roses
, Testament
, Stuck Mojo
, Slayer
, Judas Priest
, and Megadeth
. These bands inspire Bullet for My Valentine's "catchy vocals, aggressive riffs and melodies," according to Thomas. The band describe two of their albums, The Poison and Fever, as having a "super dark" tone, Tuck went on to state that "…we're a hard rock
band with metal influences, and I’ve said that from Day One.”
Kirk Miller of Decibel Magazine praised the band for the effort in synchronised song structures. When asked of their views on their looks, members of the band have stated that they would not change their sound or image for a commercial approach; Tuck also commented that, "Without sounding harsh, we're more interested in what our music sounds like than what our fucking hair looks like."
Former members
Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal
band from Bridgend
, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica
and Nirvana
. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic heavy metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden
, and Slayer
. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene
.
Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison
, was released on October 3, 2005 in the United Kingdom and on February 14, 2006 in the United States to coincide with Valentine's Day
hence their band name. The album entered the Billboard 200
in the US at number 128. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
. The band made appearances at the Download Festival
and Kerrang!
XXV, and undertook a US tour with Rob Zombie
. Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim Fire
, was released on January 29, 2008 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The band's third album, Fever
, was released on April 26, 2010 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The band has sold over one million albums in the United States and nearly 2,500,000 albums worldwide and are the most-successful act in the Kerrang! Awards category of "Best British Band" with three wins.
. Playing Nirvana
and Metallica
cover songs, the band released a two-track EP
in 2002, You/Play with Me, which was produced by Greg Haver. The EP was financed through the Pynci scheme for new Welsh musicians and the release garnered radio airplay on BBC Radio 1
's broadcast at Newport
's T.J.'s
. Jeff Killed John's music followed the nu metal
trend set by bands such as Korn
and Limp Bizkit
. Bassist Crandle left the band on the eve of entering the recording sessions for You/Play with Me and was replaced by Jason James. The band then changed their name to Bullet for My Valentine and reworked their musical strategy; they decided to play thrash metal songs with "harmony guitars and big angelic choruses" according to frontman Tuck.
Roadrunner Records
showed interest in Bullet for My Valentine and offered the band a deal. The offer was ultimately turned down, and the band signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG and a UK licensing deal with Visible Noise
. According to Tuck, they chose Sony because, "We thought that a lot more doors would be open to us." A self-titled
EP was released on 15 November 2004 in the UK. Produced by Colin Richardson
, it featured five tracks and marked the band's first official release. A second EP, Hand of Blood
, was released on 22 August 2005 through Trustkill Records
and was only available in the US; the release contained one extra track than the self-titled EP, "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
". Daniel Lukes of Decibel Magazine
reviewed the EP 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. Zeromag's Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids".
Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison
, was released on 3 October 2005 in the UK and on Valentine's Day, 2006 in the US. It entered the Billboard 200
at number 128, and attained number 11 on the Independent Albums
chart. On 30 January 2009, the album was certified gold by the RIAA
after 500,000 copies were sold in the US. Four singles were released from The Poison: "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
", "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
", "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
", and "Tears Don't Fall
". Bullet for My Valentine promoted the album by touring across the world. In 2005, with increased popularity, they played on the larger Download Festival
Snickers stage; in 2006, the band were moved to near the top of the main stage bill. Other tours included opening for Metallica and Guns N' Roses
in the summer of 2006, the Vans Warped Tour, Kerrang! tour, and Earthday Birthday. The band's performance at the Brixton Academy in London on 28 January 2006, was filmed for their first DVD, The Poison: Live at Brixton
. During June 2007, Tuck suffered from laryngitis
, which let to an emergency tonsillectomy
in July. Bullet for My Valentine were forced to cancel several shows, including supporting Metallica
for three dates on their Sick of the Studio '07 tour on 29 June in Bilbao
, 5 July in Vienna, and 8 July at the recently completed Wembley Stadium
in London. Unable to speak, Tuck wrote that as soon as doctors cleared him he would be in the studio working on the band's next album.
, was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios and was produced by Colin Richardson
. Tuck commented at the time, "It's a lot more up tempo
, a lot more aggressive". The album was released in the US on 29 January 2008. It sold 53,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200
. Three songs were released as singles: "Scream Aim Fire", "Hearts Burst into Fire", and "Waking the Demon".
In support of the new album, the band toured North America and Australia in the spring of 2008 for the Taste of Chaos
tour alongside Atreyu
, Blessthefall
, and Avenged Sevenfold
. Bullet for My Valentine cut short the Canada portion of the tour and flew back home to support the daughter of James who was in hospital. The band performed in North America again in the summer of 2008 as part of the No Fear
Tour with Bleeding Through
, Cancer Bats
, and Black Tide
. In late 2008, the band toured Europe, supported by Lacuna Coil
, Bleeding Through
, and Black Tide
. In December 2008, Scream Aim Fire was re-released with four bonus tracks that were recorded during the album's studio sessions, but with re-recorded vocal-lines.
Matt Tuck spoke to Daniel Marez of Metal Hammer
in March 2009 about the band's progress on writing and recording their third album. Tuck stated that there were four or five songs that were finished and that "usually we write and record 14 tracks that I then have to write vocal lines for, but this time I’m trying to write the vocals as I write the music". Bullet for My Valentine confirmed in August 2009 that they were aiming for an early 2010 release for the new album, while Tuck stated that the upcoming record is "a lot more mature-sounding, it's a lot more classic. It'll stand the test of time [more] than both the previous things we've done". In a January 2010 interview with Rock Sound
, Tuck stated explained details for the album; it would be titled Fever
and that the 11-track record would have a sound closer to The Poison
rather than Scream Aim Fire
and would be absent of ballad
s.
During the summer of 2009, Bullet for My Valentine toured across the United States as part of the Mayhem Festival
, alongside Killswitch Engage
, Slayer
, and Marilyn Manson
on the main stage; they also appeared on the UK leg of the Sonisphere tour at Knebworth, headlining the second stage. The band will be headlining the second stage at the Download Festival 2010 on the Friday night. The band has also been confirmed for Nova Rock, Metaltown, Rock am Ring, Rock on the Range
, The Bamboozle
, Bilbao Live Festival
, Fortarock and Graspop. In addition, they will be playing alongside the Big Four on the Greek leg of Sonisphere. Fever was released on 27 April 2010. A free download of a new track called "Begging For Mercy" was released on the band's website on 14 February
, 2010 as part of a Twitter promotion. The song "Your Betrayal
" was chosen as the lead single for the album and was set to release on 9 March 2010, but, unexpectedly, was released earlier on 2 March 2010 as a digital single on iTunes Store
. The second single is called "The Last Fight
" and was released on 19 April. The album artwork for this studio album was released on the official website on 5 March 2010. Bullet for My Valentine announced the start their US tour in support of Fever. It began on 30 April with the bands Airbourne
and Chiodos
as support. On 12 March the band released the music videos for "The Last Fight" and "Your Betrayal". The band revealed the track listing on their website on March 15, as well as other various sources that include an email to all of their subscribers on the mailing list. On 26 April the band played a secret show in London to celebrate the release of Fever. This was their only UK headline show until the end of the year.
, after which they intend to begin writing material for a fourth studio album. The band hopes to release the album sometime in 2012.
On October 7, RCA Music Group
announced it was disbanding Jive Records
along with Arista Records
and J Records
. With the shutdown, the band (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release their future material (including their next studio album) on the RCA Records
brand.
, metalcore
and thrash metal
. The band has cited being influenced by bands such as Metallica
, Annihilator
, Pantera
, Machine Head
, Iron Maiden
, Guns N' Roses
, Testament
, Stuck Mojo
, Slayer
, Judas Priest
, and Megadeth
. These bands inspire Bullet for My Valentine's "catchy vocals, aggressive riffs and melodies," according to Thomas. The band describe two of their albums, The Poison and Fever, as having a "super dark" tone, Tuck went on to state that "…we're a hard rock
band with metal influences, and I’ve said that from Day One.”
Kirk Miller of Decibel Magazine praised the band for the effort in synchronised song structures. When asked of their views on their looks, members of the band have stated that they would not change their sound or image for a commercial approach; Tuck also commented that, "Without sounding harsh, we're more interested in what our music sounds like than what our fucking hair looks like."
Former members
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic heavy metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, and Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene
Cardiff music scene
The music of Cardiff has been dominated mainly by rock music since the early 1990s with later trends developing towards more extreme styles of the genre such as heavy metal, post-hardcore and emo music....
.
Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison
The Poison
The Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...
, was released on October 3, 2005 in the United Kingdom and on February 14, 2006 in the United States to coincide with Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
hence their band name. The album entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in the US at number 128. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. The band made appearances at the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
and Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
XXV, and undertook a US tour with Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
. Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 28 January 2008 in the UK and the preceding day in the US...
, was released on January 29, 2008 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The band's third album, Fever
Fever (Bullet for My Valentine album)
Fever is the third studio album by Welsh heavy metal band, Bullet for My Valentine. Containing eleven tracks, the album was released on 26 and 27 April 2010 in the UK and in the US, respectively. The album sold 71,000 copies in the US and 21,965 in the UK in its first week of release to debut at...
, was released on April 26, 2010 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The band has sold over one million albums in the United States and nearly 2,500,000 albums worldwide and are the most-successful act in the Kerrang! Awards category of "Best British Band" with three wins.
Jeff Killed John and record deal (1998—2005)
Jeff Killed John was the forerunner band to Bullet for My Valentine and was formed in 1998 by Matthew Tuck, Michael "Padge" Paget, Nick Crandle, and Michael "Moose" Thomas while studying music at Bridgend CollegeBridgend College
Bridgend College is a further education college based in Bridgend, Wales. Founded in 1928 as the Bridgend Mining and Technical Institute, the college today has four campuses in Bridgend, Pencoed and Maesteg....
. Playing Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
cover songs, the band released a two-track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 2002, You/Play with Me, which was produced by Greg Haver. The EP was financed through the Pynci scheme for new Welsh musicians and the release garnered radio airplay on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's broadcast at Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
's T.J.'s
T.J.'s
TJ's was a nightclub located on Clarence Place in Newport, South Wales. It opened in 1985 and has become a live music venue, particularly for rock music. It is also an integral part of the so-called toilet circuit...
. Jeff Killed John's music followed the nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
trend set by bands such as Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
and Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
. Bassist Crandle left the band on the eve of entering the recording sessions for You/Play with Me and was replaced by Jason James. The band then changed their name to Bullet for My Valentine and reworked their musical strategy; they decided to play thrash metal songs with "harmony guitars and big angelic choruses" according to frontman Tuck.
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
showed interest in Bullet for My Valentine and offered the band a deal. The offer was ultimately turned down, and the band signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG and a UK licensing deal with Visible Noise
Visible Noise
Visible Noise is a British independent record label that focuses solely on British bands.-History:Founded in 1998 by ex-Cacophonous Records manager Julie Weir, the label was created with the goal of fostering and breaking new UK rock music...
. According to Tuck, they chose Sony because, "We thought that a lot more doors would be open to us." A self-titled
Bullet For My Valentine (EP)
Bullet for My Valentine is the first release by Welsh metal band Bullet for My Valentine. It was released on 15 November 2004 through Visible Noise in the UK. The song "Hand of Blood" was released as a music video to promote the EP. The song "Cries in Vain" would later appear on the band's...
EP was released on 15 November 2004 in the UK. Produced by Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson is a British record producer, mixer and recording engineer. He has worked on over 100 albums, and is most frequently associated with heavy metal and its subgenres such as:*Anathema*As I Lay Dying*Behemoth*Bullet for My Valentine...
, it featured five tracks and marked the band's first official release. A second EP, Hand of Blood
Hand Of Blood
Hand of Blood is the second EP by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The EP is almost the same as the previous. It was released on August 22, 2005 through Trustkill Records, with completely different artwork and slightly altered tracklisting . Strangely, this EP is not available in the...
, was released on 22 August 2005 through Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records was an American record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994...
and was only available in the US; the release contained one extra track than the self-titled EP, "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
4 Words (To Choke Upon)
"4 Words " is a song by Welsh heavy metal quartet Bullet for My Valentine, the song is released as the second single from their second EP Hand of Blood and later their debut album The Poison. The song is about what the band went through as "Jeff Killed John", how people's claims were that they...
". Daniel Lukes of Decibel Magazine
Decibel magazine
Decibel is a monthly heavy metal and extreme music magazine published by the Philadelphia-based Red Flag Media. Since October 2004, Decibel has featured a plethora of extreme metal bands and musicians. Its sections include Upfront, Features, Reviews, Guest Columns and the Decibel Hall of Fame...
reviewed the EP 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. Zeromag's Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids".
The Poison (2005—2007)
The Poison
The Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...
, was released on 3 October 2005 in the UK and on Valentine's Day, 2006 in the US. It entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number 128, and attained number 11 on the Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
chart. On 30 January 2009, the album was certified gold by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
after 500,000 copies were sold in the US. Four singles were released from The Poison: "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
4 Words (To Choke Upon)
"4 Words " is a song by Welsh heavy metal quartet Bullet for My Valentine, the song is released as the second single from their second EP Hand of Blood and later their debut album The Poison. The song is about what the band went through as "Jeff Killed John", how people's claims were that they...
", "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
"Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow " is the second single from Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, on their debut album, The Poison. It was released on 19 September 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the United Kingdom...
", "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
"All These Things I Hate " is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, the song is released as the third single from their debut album The Poison. It was released through Sony BMG Recordings on 3 February 2006...
", and "Tears Don't Fall
Tears Don't Fall
"Tears Don't Fall" is a song by Bullet for My Valentine. It is the band's fourth single from their first full-length studio album, The Poison. The single was released on June 23, 2006 through Trustkill Records in the US.- Track listings :...
". Bullet for My Valentine promoted the album by touring across the world. In 2005, with increased popularity, they played on the larger Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
Snickers stage; in 2006, the band were moved to near the top of the main stage bill. Other tours included opening for Metallica and Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
in the summer of 2006, the Vans Warped Tour, Kerrang! tour, and Earthday Birthday. The band's performance at the Brixton Academy in London on 28 January 2006, was filmed for their first DVD, The Poison: Live at Brixton
The Poison: Live at Brixton
The Poison: Live at Brixton is a DVD released on October 30, 2006 in the UK and was released on December 19, 2006 in the U.S. of Bullet for My Valentine performing live at the Brixton Academy on January 28, 2006, shortly before frontman Matt Tuck began to experience throat problems. It was released...
. During June 2007, Tuck suffered from laryngitis
Laryngitis
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds . Dysphonia is the medical term for a vocal disorder, of which laryngitis is one cause....
, which let to an emergency tonsillectomy
Tonsillectomy
A tonsillectomy is a 3,000-year-old surgical procedure in which the tonsils are removed from either side of the throat. The procedure is performed in response to cases of repeated occurrence of acute tonsillitis or adenoiditis, obstructive sleep apnea, nasal airway obstruction, snoring, or...
in July. Bullet for My Valentine were forced to cancel several shows, including supporting Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
for three dates on their Sick of the Studio '07 tour on 29 June in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, 5 July in Vienna, and 8 July at the recently completed Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in London. Unable to speak, Tuck wrote that as soon as doctors cleared him he would be in the studio working on the band's next album.
Scream Aim Fire (2007—2008)
Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim FireScream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 28 January 2008 in the UK and the preceding day in the US...
, was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios and was produced by Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson is a British record producer, mixer and recording engineer. He has worked on over 100 albums, and is most frequently associated with heavy metal and its subgenres such as:*Anathema*As I Lay Dying*Behemoth*Bullet for My Valentine...
. Tuck commented at the time, "It's a lot more up tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, a lot more aggressive". The album was released in the US on 29 January 2008. It sold 53,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Three songs were released as singles: "Scream Aim Fire", "Hearts Burst into Fire", and "Waking the Demon".
In support of the new album, the band toured North America and Australia in the spring of 2008 for the Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos is a hardcore tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste Of Chaos tour caters for fans of the post-hardcore, screamo, and metal genres, while offering the same...
tour alongside Atreyu
Atreyu (band)
Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
, Blessthefall
Blessthefall
Blessthefall is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, currently signed to Fearless Records. The band was founded in 2003 by guitarist Mike Frisby, drummer Matt Traynor, and bassist Jared Warth. Their debut album, His Last Walk, with original vocalist Craig Mabbitt, was released April...
, and Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
. Bullet for My Valentine cut short the Canada portion of the tour and flew back home to support the daughter of James who was in hospital. The band performed in North America again in the summer of 2008 as part of the No Fear
No Fear
No Fear is a lifestyle clothing brand that was created in 1989 by Mark Simo, Brian Simo, and Marty Moates. No Fear Inc. products are sold at various retail stores and . It also offers No Fear energy drinks under the same brand, in a joint venture with Pepsi. The company currently employs about 450...
Tour with Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1999, the band blends influences stemming from modern hardcore punk, symphonic black metal, and melodic death metal...
, Cancer Bats
Cancer Bats
Cancer Bats are a hardcore punk/sludge metal band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Background:Cancer Bats originated in May 2004 with singer Liam Cormier and guitarist Scott Middleton, former member of Toronto heavy metal band At the Mercy of Inspiration...
, and Black Tide
Black Tide
Black Tide is an American heavy metal band from Miami, Florida. Formed in 2004, the group is currently signed to Interscope Records and is composed of Gabriel Garcia , Austin Diaz , Zachary Sandler , and Steven Spence...
. In late 2008, the band toured Europe, supported by Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...
, Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1999, the band blends influences stemming from modern hardcore punk, symphonic black metal, and melodic death metal...
, and Black Tide
Black Tide
Black Tide is an American heavy metal band from Miami, Florida. Formed in 2004, the group is currently signed to Interscope Records and is composed of Gabriel Garcia , Austin Diaz , Zachary Sandler , and Steven Spence...
. In December 2008, Scream Aim Fire was re-released with four bonus tracks that were recorded during the album's studio sessions, but with re-recorded vocal-lines.
Fever (2009—2011)
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
in March 2009 about the band's progress on writing and recording their third album. Tuck stated that there were four or five songs that were finished and that "usually we write and record 14 tracks that I then have to write vocal lines for, but this time I’m trying to write the vocals as I write the music". Bullet for My Valentine confirmed in August 2009 that they were aiming for an early 2010 release for the new album, while Tuck stated that the upcoming record is "a lot more mature-sounding, it's a lot more classic. It'll stand the test of time [more] than both the previous things we've done". In a January 2010 interview with Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
, Tuck stated explained details for the album; it would be titled Fever
Fever (Bullet for My Valentine album)
Fever is the third studio album by Welsh heavy metal band, Bullet for My Valentine. Containing eleven tracks, the album was released on 26 and 27 April 2010 in the UK and in the US, respectively. The album sold 71,000 copies in the US and 21,965 in the UK in its first week of release to debut at...
and that the 11-track record would have a sound closer to The Poison
The Poison
The Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...
rather than Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 28 January 2008 in the UK and the preceding day in the US...
and would be absent of ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s.
During the summer of 2009, Bullet for My Valentine toured across the United States as part of the Mayhem Festival
Mayhem festival
The Mayhem Festival is a touring metal festival that takes place during the summer. The inaugural iteration took place in 2008; the festival has since become an annual event across the United States and Quebec, Canada. The tour has been sponsored by the Rockstar Energy Company since the time of its...
, alongside Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
on the main stage; they also appeared on the UK leg of the Sonisphere tour at Knebworth, headlining the second stage. The band will be headlining the second stage at the Download Festival 2010 on the Friday night. The band has also been confirmed for Nova Rock, Metaltown, Rock am Ring, Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range is an annual rock festival featuring mostly mainstream rock bands, with a classic band usually headlining the show. The festival is held at two venues; Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
, The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle is an annual rain-or-shine, three-day music festival held in New Jersey. Every year, new bands compete for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the Skate and Surf Festival.- The Characters:...
, Bilbao Live Festival
Bilbao Live Festival
The Bilbao Live Festival is a rock and pop music festival that takes place in the summer in Bilbao, Spain since 2006. It is supported by BBK the savings bank.-History:...
, Fortarock and Graspop. In addition, they will be playing alongside the Big Four on the Greek leg of Sonisphere. Fever was released on 27 April 2010. A free download of a new track called "Begging For Mercy" was released on the band's website on 14 February
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, 2010 as part of a Twitter promotion. The song "Your Betrayal
Your Betrayal
"Your Betrayal" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine and was released as the first and lead US single from their third album, Fever. The song was set for release on March 8, 2010 to the radio; and, unexpectedly, was released early as a Digital 45 on iTunes along with the...
" was chosen as the lead single for the album and was set to release on 9 March 2010, but, unexpectedly, was released earlier on 2 March 2010 as a digital single on iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. The second single is called "The Last Fight
The Last Fight (Bullet for My Valentine song)
"The Last Fight" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released as the second and lead UK single from their third album, Fever, on 19 April 2010 to the radio and a limited 7" edition on 17 April 2010 with "Begging for Mercy" as a B-side. An acoustic version of the song was...
" and was released on 19 April. The album artwork for this studio album was released on the official website on 5 March 2010. Bullet for My Valentine announced the start their US tour in support of Fever. It began on 30 April with the bands Airbourne
Airbourne (band)
Airbourne are an Australian hard rock band formed in Warrnambool in 2001. Mainstay members are Joel O'Keeffe on lead vocals and lead guitar, his brother, Ryan O'Keeffe on drums, and David Roads on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. They were later joined by Justin Street on bass guitar and backing...
and Chiodos
Chiodos
Chiodos is an American post hardcore band from Davison, Michigan. Formed in 2001, the group was originally known as "The Chiodos Bros," the band's name was a tribute to filmmakers Stephen, Charles, and Edward Chiodo, responsible for the film Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Chiodos released their...
as support. On 12 March the band released the music videos for "The Last Fight" and "Your Betrayal". The band revealed the track listing on their website on March 15, as well as other various sources that include an email to all of their subscribers on the mailing list. On 26 April the band played a secret show in London to celebrate the release of Fever. This was their only UK headline show until the end of the year.
Fourth studio album (2011-present)
On 28 January 2011, Michael Paget stated that the group had already drawn proportions for the next studio album and will sound a lot like Fever. He followed-along with stating that the band plans to have the songs for it written within 2011 and will begin recording the album by the end of the year. A couple tracks left from the Fever sessions might be redone, re-arranged and re-recorded for the new record. The band will play at Uproar Festival 2011Uproar Festival
The Uproar Festival, also called the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, is an annual hard rock/heavy metal tour inaugurated in 2010 by John Reese and sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drink. The tour was also created by John Oakes, Darryl Eaton and Ryan Harlacher from the Creative Artists Agency,...
, after which they intend to begin writing material for a fourth studio album. The band hopes to release the album sometime in 2012.
On October 7, RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009 and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 until all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA Records....
announced it was disbanding Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
along with Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
and J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...
. With the shutdown, the band (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release their future material (including their next studio album) on the RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
brand.
Musical style and influences
Bullet for My Valentine are primarily deemed as a contemporary metal band. With detailed statements, their music has been described by critics as heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
. The band has cited being influenced by bands such as Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Annihilator
Annihilator (band)
Annihilator is a Canadian heavy metal band hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, also from Vancouver, British Columbia between 1987-2002 by founding member, vocalist, guitarist and bassist Jeff Waters. The band has been around since 1984 and is the biggest selling heavy metal artist from Canada in history,...
, Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Stuck Mojo
Stuck Mojo
Stuck Mojo is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1989 by guitarist Rich Ward, Stuck Mojo is considered to be one of the pioneers of rap metal. Touring alongside bands such as Machine Head and Slapshot. Stuck Mojo's most successful album, Rising, peaked at #48 on the...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, and Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
. These bands inspire Bullet for My Valentine's "catchy vocals, aggressive riffs and melodies," according to Thomas. The band describe two of their albums, The Poison and Fever, as having a "super dark" tone, Tuck went on to state that "…we're a hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band with metal influences, and I’ve said that from Day One.”
Kirk Miller of Decibel Magazine praised the band for the effort in synchronised song structures. When asked of their views on their looks, members of the band have stated that they would not change their sound or image for a commercial approach; Tuck also commented that, "Without sounding harsh, we're more interested in what our music sounds like than what our fucking hair looks like."
Band members
Current members- Michael Paget – lead guitar, backing vocals (1998–present)
- Michael Thomas – drums (1998–present)
- Matthew Tuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1998–present)
- Jason James – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
- Nick Crandle – bass guitar (1998–2003)
Timeline
Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic heavy metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, and Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene
Cardiff music scene
The music of Cardiff has been dominated mainly by rock music since the early 1990s with later trends developing towards more extreme styles of the genre such as heavy metal, post-hardcore and emo music....
.
Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison
The Poison
The Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...
, was released on October 3, 2005 in the United Kingdom and on February 14, 2006 in the United States to coincide with Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
hence their band name. The album entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in the US at number 128. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. The band made appearances at the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
and Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
XXV, and undertook a US tour with Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
. Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 28 January 2008 in the UK and the preceding day in the US...
, was released on January 29, 2008 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The band's third album, Fever
Fever (Bullet for My Valentine album)
Fever is the third studio album by Welsh heavy metal band, Bullet for My Valentine. Containing eleven tracks, the album was released on 26 and 27 April 2010 in the UK and in the US, respectively. The album sold 71,000 copies in the US and 21,965 in the UK in its first week of release to debut at...
, was released on April 26, 2010 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The band has sold over one million albums in the United States and nearly 2,500,000 albums worldwide and are the most-successful act in the Kerrang! Awards category of "Best British Band" with three wins.
Jeff Killed John and record deal (1998—2005)
Jeff Killed John was the forerunner band to Bullet for My Valentine and was formed in 1998 by Matthew Tuck, Michael "Padge" Paget, Nick Crandle, and Michael "Moose" Thomas while studying music at Bridgend CollegeBridgend College
Bridgend College is a further education college based in Bridgend, Wales. Founded in 1928 as the Bridgend Mining and Technical Institute, the college today has four campuses in Bridgend, Pencoed and Maesteg....
. Playing Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
cover songs, the band released a two-track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 2002, You/Play with Me, which was produced by Greg Haver. The EP was financed through the Pynci scheme for new Welsh musicians and the release garnered radio airplay on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's broadcast at Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
's T.J.'s
T.J.'s
TJ's was a nightclub located on Clarence Place in Newport, South Wales. It opened in 1985 and has become a live music venue, particularly for rock music. It is also an integral part of the so-called toilet circuit...
. Jeff Killed John's music followed the nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
trend set by bands such as Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
and Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
. Bassist Crandle left the band on the eve of entering the recording sessions for You/Play with Me and was replaced by Jason James. The band then changed their name to Bullet for My Valentine and reworked their musical strategy; they decided to play thrash metal songs with "harmony guitars and big angelic choruses" according to frontman Tuck.
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
showed interest in Bullet for My Valentine and offered the band a deal. The offer was ultimately turned down, and the band signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG and a UK licensing deal with Visible Noise
Visible Noise
Visible Noise is a British independent record label that focuses solely on British bands.-History:Founded in 1998 by ex-Cacophonous Records manager Julie Weir, the label was created with the goal of fostering and breaking new UK rock music...
. According to Tuck, they chose Sony because, "We thought that a lot more doors would be open to us." A self-titled
Bullet For My Valentine (EP)
Bullet for My Valentine is the first release by Welsh metal band Bullet for My Valentine. It was released on 15 November 2004 through Visible Noise in the UK. The song "Hand of Blood" was released as a music video to promote the EP. The song "Cries in Vain" would later appear on the band's...
EP was released on 15 November 2004 in the UK. Produced by Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson is a British record producer, mixer and recording engineer. He has worked on over 100 albums, and is most frequently associated with heavy metal and its subgenres such as:*Anathema*As I Lay Dying*Behemoth*Bullet for My Valentine...
, it featured five tracks and marked the band's first official release. A second EP, Hand of Blood
Hand Of Blood
Hand of Blood is the second EP by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The EP is almost the same as the previous. It was released on August 22, 2005 through Trustkill Records, with completely different artwork and slightly altered tracklisting . Strangely, this EP is not available in the...
, was released on 22 August 2005 through Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records was an American record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994...
and was only available in the US; the release contained one extra track than the self-titled EP, "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
4 Words (To Choke Upon)
"4 Words " is a song by Welsh heavy metal quartet Bullet for My Valentine, the song is released as the second single from their second EP Hand of Blood and later their debut album The Poison. The song is about what the band went through as "Jeff Killed John", how people's claims were that they...
". Daniel Lukes of Decibel Magazine
Decibel magazine
Decibel is a monthly heavy metal and extreme music magazine published by the Philadelphia-based Red Flag Media. Since October 2004, Decibel has featured a plethora of extreme metal bands and musicians. Its sections include Upfront, Features, Reviews, Guest Columns and the Decibel Hall of Fame...
reviewed the EP 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. Zeromag's Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids".
The Poison (2005—2007)
The Poison
The Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...
, was released on 3 October 2005 in the UK and on Valentine's Day, 2006 in the US. It entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number 128, and attained number 11 on the Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
chart. On 30 January 2009, the album was certified gold by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
after 500,000 copies were sold in the US. Four singles were released from The Poison: "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
4 Words (To Choke Upon)
"4 Words " is a song by Welsh heavy metal quartet Bullet for My Valentine, the song is released as the second single from their second EP Hand of Blood and later their debut album The Poison. The song is about what the band went through as "Jeff Killed John", how people's claims were that they...
", "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
"Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow " is the second single from Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, on their debut album, The Poison. It was released on 19 September 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the United Kingdom...
", "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
"All These Things I Hate " is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, the song is released as the third single from their debut album The Poison. It was released through Sony BMG Recordings on 3 February 2006...
", and "Tears Don't Fall
Tears Don't Fall
"Tears Don't Fall" is a song by Bullet for My Valentine. It is the band's fourth single from their first full-length studio album, The Poison. The single was released on June 23, 2006 through Trustkill Records in the US.- Track listings :...
". Bullet for My Valentine promoted the album by touring across the world. In 2005, with increased popularity, they played on the larger Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
Snickers stage; in 2006, the band were moved to near the top of the main stage bill. Other tours included opening for Metallica and Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
in the summer of 2006, the Vans Warped Tour, Kerrang! tour, and Earthday Birthday. The band's performance at the Brixton Academy in London on 28 January 2006, was filmed for their first DVD, The Poison: Live at Brixton
The Poison: Live at Brixton
The Poison: Live at Brixton is a DVD released on October 30, 2006 in the UK and was released on December 19, 2006 in the U.S. of Bullet for My Valentine performing live at the Brixton Academy on January 28, 2006, shortly before frontman Matt Tuck began to experience throat problems. It was released...
. During June 2007, Tuck suffered from laryngitis
Laryngitis
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds . Dysphonia is the medical term for a vocal disorder, of which laryngitis is one cause....
, which let to an emergency tonsillectomy
Tonsillectomy
A tonsillectomy is a 3,000-year-old surgical procedure in which the tonsils are removed from either side of the throat. The procedure is performed in response to cases of repeated occurrence of acute tonsillitis or adenoiditis, obstructive sleep apnea, nasal airway obstruction, snoring, or...
in July. Bullet for My Valentine were forced to cancel several shows, including supporting Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
for three dates on their Sick of the Studio '07 tour on 29 June in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, 5 July in Vienna, and 8 July at the recently completed Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in London. Unable to speak, Tuck wrote that as soon as doctors cleared him he would be in the studio working on the band's next album.
Scream Aim Fire (2007—2008)
Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim FireScream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 28 January 2008 in the UK and the preceding day in the US...
, was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios and was produced by Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson is a British record producer, mixer and recording engineer. He has worked on over 100 albums, and is most frequently associated with heavy metal and its subgenres such as:*Anathema*As I Lay Dying*Behemoth*Bullet for My Valentine...
. Tuck commented at the time, "It's a lot more up tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, a lot more aggressive". The album was released in the US on 29 January 2008. It sold 53,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Three songs were released as singles: "Scream Aim Fire", "Hearts Burst into Fire", and "Waking the Demon".
In support of the new album, the band toured North America and Australia in the spring of 2008 for the Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos is a hardcore tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste Of Chaos tour caters for fans of the post-hardcore, screamo, and metal genres, while offering the same...
tour alongside Atreyu
Atreyu (band)
Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
, Blessthefall
Blessthefall
Blessthefall is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, currently signed to Fearless Records. The band was founded in 2003 by guitarist Mike Frisby, drummer Matt Traynor, and bassist Jared Warth. Their debut album, His Last Walk, with original vocalist Craig Mabbitt, was released April...
, and Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
. Bullet for My Valentine cut short the Canada portion of the tour and flew back home to support the daughter of James who was in hospital. The band performed in North America again in the summer of 2008 as part of the No Fear
No Fear
No Fear is a lifestyle clothing brand that was created in 1989 by Mark Simo, Brian Simo, and Marty Moates. No Fear Inc. products are sold at various retail stores and . It also offers No Fear energy drinks under the same brand, in a joint venture with Pepsi. The company currently employs about 450...
Tour with Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1999, the band blends influences stemming from modern hardcore punk, symphonic black metal, and melodic death metal...
, Cancer Bats
Cancer Bats
Cancer Bats are a hardcore punk/sludge metal band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Background:Cancer Bats originated in May 2004 with singer Liam Cormier and guitarist Scott Middleton, former member of Toronto heavy metal band At the Mercy of Inspiration...
, and Black Tide
Black Tide
Black Tide is an American heavy metal band from Miami, Florida. Formed in 2004, the group is currently signed to Interscope Records and is composed of Gabriel Garcia , Austin Diaz , Zachary Sandler , and Steven Spence...
. In late 2008, the band toured Europe, supported by Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...
, Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1999, the band blends influences stemming from modern hardcore punk, symphonic black metal, and melodic death metal...
, and Black Tide
Black Tide
Black Tide is an American heavy metal band from Miami, Florida. Formed in 2004, the group is currently signed to Interscope Records and is composed of Gabriel Garcia , Austin Diaz , Zachary Sandler , and Steven Spence...
. In December 2008, Scream Aim Fire was re-released with four bonus tracks that were recorded during the album's studio sessions, but with re-recorded vocal-lines.
Fever (2009—2011)
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
in March 2009 about the band's progress on writing and recording their third album. Tuck stated that there were four or five songs that were finished and that "usually we write and record 14 tracks that I then have to write vocal lines for, but this time I’m trying to write the vocals as I write the music". Bullet for My Valentine confirmed in August 2009 that they were aiming for an early 2010 release for the new album, while Tuck stated that the upcoming record is "a lot more mature-sounding, it's a lot more classic. It'll stand the test of time [more] than both the previous things we've done". In a January 2010 interview with Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
, Tuck stated explained details for the album; it would be titled Fever
Fever (Bullet for My Valentine album)
Fever is the third studio album by Welsh heavy metal band, Bullet for My Valentine. Containing eleven tracks, the album was released on 26 and 27 April 2010 in the UK and in the US, respectively. The album sold 71,000 copies in the US and 21,965 in the UK in its first week of release to debut at...
and that the 11-track record would have a sound closer to The Poison
The Poison
The Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...
rather than Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 28 January 2008 in the UK and the preceding day in the US...
and would be absent of ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s.
During the summer of 2009, Bullet for My Valentine toured across the United States as part of the Mayhem Festival
Mayhem festival
The Mayhem Festival is a touring metal festival that takes place during the summer. The inaugural iteration took place in 2008; the festival has since become an annual event across the United States and Quebec, Canada. The tour has been sponsored by the Rockstar Energy Company since the time of its...
, alongside Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
on the main stage; they also appeared on the UK leg of the Sonisphere tour at Knebworth, headlining the second stage. The band will be headlining the second stage at the Download Festival 2010 on the Friday night. The band has also been confirmed for Nova Rock, Metaltown, Rock am Ring, Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range is an annual rock festival featuring mostly mainstream rock bands, with a classic band usually headlining the show. The festival is held at two venues; Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
, The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle is an annual rain-or-shine, three-day music festival held in New Jersey. Every year, new bands compete for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the Skate and Surf Festival.- The Characters:...
, Bilbao Live Festival
Bilbao Live Festival
The Bilbao Live Festival is a rock and pop music festival that takes place in the summer in Bilbao, Spain since 2006. It is supported by BBK the savings bank.-History:...
, Fortarock and Graspop. In addition, they will be playing alongside the Big Four on the Greek leg of Sonisphere. Fever was released on 27 April 2010. A free download of a new track called "Begging For Mercy" was released on the band's website on 14 February
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, 2010 as part of a Twitter promotion. The song "Your Betrayal
Your Betrayal
"Your Betrayal" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine and was released as the first and lead US single from their third album, Fever. The song was set for release on March 8, 2010 to the radio; and, unexpectedly, was released early as a Digital 45 on iTunes along with the...
" was chosen as the lead single for the album and was set to release on 9 March 2010, but, unexpectedly, was released earlier on 2 March 2010 as a digital single on iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. The second single is called "The Last Fight
The Last Fight (Bullet for My Valentine song)
"The Last Fight" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released as the second and lead UK single from their third album, Fever, on 19 April 2010 to the radio and a limited 7" edition on 17 April 2010 with "Begging for Mercy" as a B-side. An acoustic version of the song was...
" and was released on 19 April. The album artwork for this studio album was released on the official website on 5 March 2010. Bullet for My Valentine announced the start their US tour in support of Fever. It began on 30 April with the bands Airbourne
Airbourne (band)
Airbourne are an Australian hard rock band formed in Warrnambool in 2001. Mainstay members are Joel O'Keeffe on lead vocals and lead guitar, his brother, Ryan O'Keeffe on drums, and David Roads on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. They were later joined by Justin Street on bass guitar and backing...
and Chiodos
Chiodos
Chiodos is an American post hardcore band from Davison, Michigan. Formed in 2001, the group was originally known as "The Chiodos Bros," the band's name was a tribute to filmmakers Stephen, Charles, and Edward Chiodo, responsible for the film Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Chiodos released their...
as support. On 12 March the band released the music videos for "The Last Fight" and "Your Betrayal". The band revealed the track listing on their website on March 15, as well as other various sources that include an email to all of their subscribers on the mailing list. On 26 April the band played a secret show in London to celebrate the release of Fever. This was their only UK headline show until the end of the year.
Fourth studio album (2011-present)
On 28 January 2011, Michael Paget stated that the group had already drawn proportions for the next studio album and will sound a lot like Fever. He followed-along with stating that the band plans to have the songs for it written within 2011 and will begin recording the album by the end of the year. A couple tracks left from the Fever sessions might be redone, re-arranged and re-recorded for the new record. The band will play at Uproar Festival 2011Uproar Festival
The Uproar Festival, also called the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, is an annual hard rock/heavy metal tour inaugurated in 2010 by John Reese and sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drink. The tour was also created by John Oakes, Darryl Eaton and Ryan Harlacher from the Creative Artists Agency,...
, after which they intend to begin writing material for a fourth studio album. The band hopes to release the album sometime in 2012.
On October 7, RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009 and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 until all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA Records....
announced it was disbanding Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
along with Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
and J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...
. With the shutdown, the band (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release their future material (including their next studio album) on the RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
brand.
Musical style and influences
Bullet for My Valentine are primarily deemed as a contemporary metal band. With detailed statements, their music has been described by critics as heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
. The band has cited being influenced by bands such as Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Annihilator
Annihilator (band)
Annihilator is a Canadian heavy metal band hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, also from Vancouver, British Columbia between 1987-2002 by founding member, vocalist, guitarist and bassist Jeff Waters. The band has been around since 1984 and is the biggest selling heavy metal artist from Canada in history,...
, Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Stuck Mojo
Stuck Mojo
Stuck Mojo is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1989 by guitarist Rich Ward, Stuck Mojo is considered to be one of the pioneers of rap metal. Touring alongside bands such as Machine Head and Slapshot. Stuck Mojo's most successful album, Rising, peaked at #48 on the...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, and Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
. These bands inspire Bullet for My Valentine's "catchy vocals, aggressive riffs and melodies," according to Thomas. The band describe two of their albums, The Poison and Fever, as having a "super dark" tone, Tuck went on to state that "…we're a hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band with metal influences, and I’ve said that from Day One.”
Kirk Miller of Decibel Magazine praised the band for the effort in synchronised song structures. When asked of their views on their looks, members of the band have stated that they would not change their sound or image for a commercial approach; Tuck also commented that, "Without sounding harsh, we're more interested in what our music sounds like than what our fucking hair looks like."
Band members
Current members- Michael Paget – lead guitar, backing vocals (1998–present)
- Michael Thomas – drums (1998–present)
- Matthew Tuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1998–present)
- Jason James – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
- Nick Crandle – bass guitar (1998–2003)
Timeline
Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic heavy metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, and Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene
Cardiff music scene
The music of Cardiff has been dominated mainly by rock music since the early 1990s with later trends developing towards more extreme styles of the genre such as heavy metal, post-hardcore and emo music....
.
Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison
The Poison
The Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...
, was released on October 3, 2005 in the United Kingdom and on February 14, 2006 in the United States to coincide with Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
hence their band name. The album entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in the US at number 128. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. The band made appearances at the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
and Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
XXV, and undertook a US tour with Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
. Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 28 January 2008 in the UK and the preceding day in the US...
, was released on January 29, 2008 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The band's third album, Fever
Fever (Bullet for My Valentine album)
Fever is the third studio album by Welsh heavy metal band, Bullet for My Valentine. Containing eleven tracks, the album was released on 26 and 27 April 2010 in the UK and in the US, respectively. The album sold 71,000 copies in the US and 21,965 in the UK in its first week of release to debut at...
, was released on April 26, 2010 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The band has sold over one million albums in the United States and nearly 2,500,000 albums worldwide and are the most-successful act in the Kerrang! Awards category of "Best British Band" with three wins.
Jeff Killed John and record deal (1998—2005)
Jeff Killed John was the forerunner band to Bullet for My Valentine and was formed in 1998 by Matthew Tuck, Michael "Padge" Paget, Nick Crandle, and Michael "Moose" Thomas while studying music at Bridgend CollegeBridgend College
Bridgend College is a further education college based in Bridgend, Wales. Founded in 1928 as the Bridgend Mining and Technical Institute, the college today has four campuses in Bridgend, Pencoed and Maesteg....
. Playing Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
cover songs, the band released a two-track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 2002, You/Play with Me, which was produced by Greg Haver. The EP was financed through the Pynci scheme for new Welsh musicians and the release garnered radio airplay on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's broadcast at Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
's T.J.'s
T.J.'s
TJ's was a nightclub located on Clarence Place in Newport, South Wales. It opened in 1985 and has become a live music venue, particularly for rock music. It is also an integral part of the so-called toilet circuit...
. Jeff Killed John's music followed the nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
trend set by bands such as Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
and Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
. Bassist Crandle left the band on the eve of entering the recording sessions for You/Play with Me and was replaced by Jason James. The band then changed their name to Bullet for My Valentine and reworked their musical strategy; they decided to play thrash metal songs with "harmony guitars and big angelic choruses" according to frontman Tuck.
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
showed interest in Bullet for My Valentine and offered the band a deal. The offer was ultimately turned down, and the band signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG and a UK licensing deal with Visible Noise
Visible Noise
Visible Noise is a British independent record label that focuses solely on British bands.-History:Founded in 1998 by ex-Cacophonous Records manager Julie Weir, the label was created with the goal of fostering and breaking new UK rock music...
. According to Tuck, they chose Sony because, "We thought that a lot more doors would be open to us." A self-titled
Bullet For My Valentine (EP)
Bullet for My Valentine is the first release by Welsh metal band Bullet for My Valentine. It was released on 15 November 2004 through Visible Noise in the UK. The song "Hand of Blood" was released as a music video to promote the EP. The song "Cries in Vain" would later appear on the band's...
EP was released on 15 November 2004 in the UK. Produced by Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson is a British record producer, mixer and recording engineer. He has worked on over 100 albums, and is most frequently associated with heavy metal and its subgenres such as:*Anathema*As I Lay Dying*Behemoth*Bullet for My Valentine...
, it featured five tracks and marked the band's first official release. A second EP, Hand of Blood
Hand Of Blood
Hand of Blood is the second EP by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The EP is almost the same as the previous. It was released on August 22, 2005 through Trustkill Records, with completely different artwork and slightly altered tracklisting . Strangely, this EP is not available in the...
, was released on 22 August 2005 through Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records was an American record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994...
and was only available in the US; the release contained one extra track than the self-titled EP, "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
4 Words (To Choke Upon)
"4 Words " is a song by Welsh heavy metal quartet Bullet for My Valentine, the song is released as the second single from their second EP Hand of Blood and later their debut album The Poison. The song is about what the band went through as "Jeff Killed John", how people's claims were that they...
". Daniel Lukes of Decibel Magazine
Decibel magazine
Decibel is a monthly heavy metal and extreme music magazine published by the Philadelphia-based Red Flag Media. Since October 2004, Decibel has featured a plethora of extreme metal bands and musicians. Its sections include Upfront, Features, Reviews, Guest Columns and the Decibel Hall of Fame...
reviewed the EP 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. Zeromag's Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids".
The Poison (2005—2007)
The Poison
The Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...
, was released on 3 October 2005 in the UK and on Valentine's Day, 2006 in the US. It entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number 128, and attained number 11 on the Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
chart. On 30 January 2009, the album was certified gold by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
after 500,000 copies were sold in the US. Four singles were released from The Poison: "4 Words (To Choke Upon)
4 Words (To Choke Upon)
"4 Words " is a song by Welsh heavy metal quartet Bullet for My Valentine, the song is released as the second single from their second EP Hand of Blood and later their debut album The Poison. The song is about what the band went through as "Jeff Killed John", how people's claims were that they...
", "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
"Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow " is the second single from Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, on their debut album, The Poison. It was released on 19 September 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the United Kingdom...
", "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
"All These Things I Hate " is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, the song is released as the third single from their debut album The Poison. It was released through Sony BMG Recordings on 3 February 2006...
", and "Tears Don't Fall
Tears Don't Fall
"Tears Don't Fall" is a song by Bullet for My Valentine. It is the band's fourth single from their first full-length studio album, The Poison. The single was released on June 23, 2006 through Trustkill Records in the US.- Track listings :...
". Bullet for My Valentine promoted the album by touring across the world. In 2005, with increased popularity, they played on the larger Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
Snickers stage; in 2006, the band were moved to near the top of the main stage bill. Other tours included opening for Metallica and Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
in the summer of 2006, the Vans Warped Tour, Kerrang! tour, and Earthday Birthday. The band's performance at the Brixton Academy in London on 28 January 2006, was filmed for their first DVD, The Poison: Live at Brixton
The Poison: Live at Brixton
The Poison: Live at Brixton is a DVD released on October 30, 2006 in the UK and was released on December 19, 2006 in the U.S. of Bullet for My Valentine performing live at the Brixton Academy on January 28, 2006, shortly before frontman Matt Tuck began to experience throat problems. It was released...
. During June 2007, Tuck suffered from laryngitis
Laryngitis
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds . Dysphonia is the medical term for a vocal disorder, of which laryngitis is one cause....
, which let to an emergency tonsillectomy
Tonsillectomy
A tonsillectomy is a 3,000-year-old surgical procedure in which the tonsils are removed from either side of the throat. The procedure is performed in response to cases of repeated occurrence of acute tonsillitis or adenoiditis, obstructive sleep apnea, nasal airway obstruction, snoring, or...
in July. Bullet for My Valentine were forced to cancel several shows, including supporting Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
for three dates on their Sick of the Studio '07 tour on 29 June in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, 5 July in Vienna, and 8 July at the recently completed Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in London. Unable to speak, Tuck wrote that as soon as doctors cleared him he would be in the studio working on the band's next album.
Scream Aim Fire (2007—2008)
Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim FireScream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 28 January 2008 in the UK and the preceding day in the US...
, was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios and was produced by Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson
Colin Richardson is a British record producer, mixer and recording engineer. He has worked on over 100 albums, and is most frequently associated with heavy metal and its subgenres such as:*Anathema*As I Lay Dying*Behemoth*Bullet for My Valentine...
. Tuck commented at the time, "It's a lot more up tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, a lot more aggressive". The album was released in the US on 29 January 2008. It sold 53,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Three songs were released as singles: "Scream Aim Fire", "Hearts Burst into Fire", and "Waking the Demon".
In support of the new album, the band toured North America and Australia in the spring of 2008 for the Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos is a hardcore tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste Of Chaos tour caters for fans of the post-hardcore, screamo, and metal genres, while offering the same...
tour alongside Atreyu
Atreyu (band)
Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
, Blessthefall
Blessthefall
Blessthefall is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, currently signed to Fearless Records. The band was founded in 2003 by guitarist Mike Frisby, drummer Matt Traynor, and bassist Jared Warth. Their debut album, His Last Walk, with original vocalist Craig Mabbitt, was released April...
, and Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
. Bullet for My Valentine cut short the Canada portion of the tour and flew back home to support the daughter of James who was in hospital. The band performed in North America again in the summer of 2008 as part of the No Fear
No Fear
No Fear is a lifestyle clothing brand that was created in 1989 by Mark Simo, Brian Simo, and Marty Moates. No Fear Inc. products are sold at various retail stores and . It also offers No Fear energy drinks under the same brand, in a joint venture with Pepsi. The company currently employs about 450...
Tour with Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1999, the band blends influences stemming from modern hardcore punk, symphonic black metal, and melodic death metal...
, Cancer Bats
Cancer Bats
Cancer Bats are a hardcore punk/sludge metal band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Background:Cancer Bats originated in May 2004 with singer Liam Cormier and guitarist Scott Middleton, former member of Toronto heavy metal band At the Mercy of Inspiration...
, and Black Tide
Black Tide
Black Tide is an American heavy metal band from Miami, Florida. Formed in 2004, the group is currently signed to Interscope Records and is composed of Gabriel Garcia , Austin Diaz , Zachary Sandler , and Steven Spence...
. In late 2008, the band toured Europe, supported by Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...
, Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1999, the band blends influences stemming from modern hardcore punk, symphonic black metal, and melodic death metal...
, and Black Tide
Black Tide
Black Tide is an American heavy metal band from Miami, Florida. Formed in 2004, the group is currently signed to Interscope Records and is composed of Gabriel Garcia , Austin Diaz , Zachary Sandler , and Steven Spence...
. In December 2008, Scream Aim Fire was re-released with four bonus tracks that were recorded during the album's studio sessions, but with re-recorded vocal-lines.
Fever (2009—2011)
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
in March 2009 about the band's progress on writing and recording their third album. Tuck stated that there were four or five songs that were finished and that "usually we write and record 14 tracks that I then have to write vocal lines for, but this time I’m trying to write the vocals as I write the music". Bullet for My Valentine confirmed in August 2009 that they were aiming for an early 2010 release for the new album, while Tuck stated that the upcoming record is "a lot more mature-sounding, it's a lot more classic. It'll stand the test of time [more] than both the previous things we've done". In a January 2010 interview with Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
, Tuck stated explained details for the album; it would be titled Fever
Fever (Bullet for My Valentine album)
Fever is the third studio album by Welsh heavy metal band, Bullet for My Valentine. Containing eleven tracks, the album was released on 26 and 27 April 2010 in the UK and in the US, respectively. The album sold 71,000 copies in the US and 21,965 in the UK in its first week of release to debut at...
and that the 11-track record would have a sound closer to The Poison
The Poison
The Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...
rather than Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire
Scream Aim Fire is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 28 January 2008 in the UK and the preceding day in the US...
and would be absent of ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s.
During the summer of 2009, Bullet for My Valentine toured across the United States as part of the Mayhem Festival
Mayhem festival
The Mayhem Festival is a touring metal festival that takes place during the summer. The inaugural iteration took place in 2008; the festival has since become an annual event across the United States and Quebec, Canada. The tour has been sponsored by the Rockstar Energy Company since the time of its...
, alongside Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
on the main stage; they also appeared on the UK leg of the Sonisphere tour at Knebworth, headlining the second stage. The band will be headlining the second stage at the Download Festival 2010 on the Friday night. The band has also been confirmed for Nova Rock, Metaltown, Rock am Ring, Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range is an annual rock festival featuring mostly mainstream rock bands, with a classic band usually headlining the show. The festival is held at two venues; Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
, The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle is an annual rain-or-shine, three-day music festival held in New Jersey. Every year, new bands compete for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the Skate and Surf Festival.- The Characters:...
, Bilbao Live Festival
Bilbao Live Festival
The Bilbao Live Festival is a rock and pop music festival that takes place in the summer in Bilbao, Spain since 2006. It is supported by BBK the savings bank.-History:...
, Fortarock and Graspop. In addition, they will be playing alongside the Big Four on the Greek leg of Sonisphere. Fever was released on 27 April 2010. A free download of a new track called "Begging For Mercy" was released on the band's website on 14 February
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, 2010 as part of a Twitter promotion. The song "Your Betrayal
Your Betrayal
"Your Betrayal" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine and was released as the first and lead US single from their third album, Fever. The song was set for release on March 8, 2010 to the radio; and, unexpectedly, was released early as a Digital 45 on iTunes along with the...
" was chosen as the lead single for the album and was set to release on 9 March 2010, but, unexpectedly, was released earlier on 2 March 2010 as a digital single on iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. The second single is called "The Last Fight
The Last Fight (Bullet for My Valentine song)
"The Last Fight" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released as the second and lead UK single from their third album, Fever, on 19 April 2010 to the radio and a limited 7" edition on 17 April 2010 with "Begging for Mercy" as a B-side. An acoustic version of the song was...
" and was released on 19 April. The album artwork for this studio album was released on the official website on 5 March 2010. Bullet for My Valentine announced the start their US tour in support of Fever. It began on 30 April with the bands Airbourne
Airbourne (band)
Airbourne are an Australian hard rock band formed in Warrnambool in 2001. Mainstay members are Joel O'Keeffe on lead vocals and lead guitar, his brother, Ryan O'Keeffe on drums, and David Roads on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. They were later joined by Justin Street on bass guitar and backing...
and Chiodos
Chiodos
Chiodos is an American post hardcore band from Davison, Michigan. Formed in 2001, the group was originally known as "The Chiodos Bros," the band's name was a tribute to filmmakers Stephen, Charles, and Edward Chiodo, responsible for the film Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Chiodos released their...
as support. On 12 March the band released the music videos for "The Last Fight" and "Your Betrayal". The band revealed the track listing on their website on March 15, as well as other various sources that include an email to all of their subscribers on the mailing list. On 26 April the band played a secret show in London to celebrate the release of Fever. This was their only UK headline show until the end of the year.
Fourth studio album (2011-present)
On 28 January 2011, Michael Paget stated that the group had already drawn proportions for the next studio album and will sound a lot like Fever. He followed-along with stating that the band plans to have the songs for it written within 2011 and will begin recording the album by the end of the year. A couple tracks left from the Fever sessions might be redone, re-arranged and re-recorded for the new record. The band will play at Uproar Festival 2011Uproar Festival
The Uproar Festival, also called the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, is an annual hard rock/heavy metal tour inaugurated in 2010 by John Reese and sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drink. The tour was also created by John Oakes, Darryl Eaton and Ryan Harlacher from the Creative Artists Agency,...
, after which they intend to begin writing material for a fourth studio album. The band hopes to release the album sometime in 2012.
On October 7, RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009 and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 until all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA Records....
announced it was disbanding Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
along with Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
and J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...
. With the shutdown, the band (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release their future material (including their next studio album) on the RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
brand.
Musical style and influences
Bullet for My Valentine are primarily deemed as a contemporary metal band. With detailed statements, their music has been described by critics as heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
. The band has cited being influenced by bands such as Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Annihilator
Annihilator (band)
Annihilator is a Canadian heavy metal band hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, also from Vancouver, British Columbia between 1987-2002 by founding member, vocalist, guitarist and bassist Jeff Waters. The band has been around since 1984 and is the biggest selling heavy metal artist from Canada in history,...
, Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Stuck Mojo
Stuck Mojo
Stuck Mojo is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1989 by guitarist Rich Ward, Stuck Mojo is considered to be one of the pioneers of rap metal. Touring alongside bands such as Machine Head and Slapshot. Stuck Mojo's most successful album, Rising, peaked at #48 on the...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, and Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
. These bands inspire Bullet for My Valentine's "catchy vocals, aggressive riffs and melodies," according to Thomas. The band describe two of their albums, The Poison and Fever, as having a "super dark" tone, Tuck went on to state that "…we're a hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band with metal influences, and I’ve said that from Day One.”
Kirk Miller of Decibel Magazine praised the band for the effort in synchronised song structures. When asked of their views on their looks, members of the band have stated that they would not change their sound or image for a commercial approach; Tuck also commented that, "Without sounding harsh, we're more interested in what our music sounds like than what our fucking hair looks like."
Band members
Current members- Michael Paget – lead guitar, backing vocals (1998–present)
- Michael Thomas – drums (1998–present)
- Matthew Tuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1998–present)
- Jason James – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
Former members
- Nick Crandle – bass guitar (1998–2003)
Discography
Studio albums- The PoisonThe PoisonThe Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...
(2005) - Scream Aim FireScream Aim FireScream Aim Fire is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 28 January 2008 in the UK and the preceding day in the US...
(2008) - FeverFever (Bullet for My Valentine album)Fever is the third studio album by Welsh heavy metal band, Bullet for My Valentine. Containing eleven tracks, the album was released on 26 and 27 April 2010 in the UK and in the US, respectively. The album sold 71,000 copies in the US and 21,965 in the UK in its first week of release to debut at...
(2010)
Awards and achievements
- Welsh Music Award
- Best Newcomer (2004)
- Metal HammerMetal HammerMetal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
Golden God Award- Best British Band (2006, 2010)
- Kerrang! Awards
- Best UK Single for "Tears Don't FallTears Don't Fall"Tears Don't Fall" is a song by Bullet for My Valentine. It is the band's fourth single from their first full-length studio album, The Poison. The single was released on June 23, 2006 through Trustkill Records in the US.- Track listings :...
" (2006) - Best British Newcomer (2005)
- Best British Band (2008, 2009, 2010)
- Headlined Kerrang!
' s 25 year anniversary tour of the UK - Best Live Band (2010)
- Best UK Single for "Tears Don't Fall