Bullet for my Valentine
Bullet for My Valentine (sometimes abbreviated as BFMV) is a Welsh Heavy Metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. Part of the Cardiff music scene, the band currently consists of Matt Tuck (vocals, guitar), Michael Paget ( guitar, backing vocals), Jason Bowld (drums) and Jamie Mathias (bass, backing vocals).
They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and began their musical career playing songs by Metallica and Nirvana. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs that were not released, two of which tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. In 2002, they secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. Financial difficulties led to a name change in 2004, which was followed by a change in musical direction.
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. The album entered the Billboard 200 in the United States at number 128 and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The band made appearances at the Download Festival and Kerrang! XXV, and toured the US 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 third on the Billboard 200.
The band has sold more than one million records in the United States and over 5 million worldwide. It is the band that has won the most awards at Kerrang! Winning the “Best British Band” award three times, in addition to being chosen by Kerrang! as one of the 7 best bands of the last 30 years. Even today, they are considered the kings of the current British Metal scene.
Currently
On April 1, 2016, the band announced that they signed a new worldwide deal with Spinefarm Records; sometime later, specifically on November 7, 2016, the band released a new standalone single titled “Don’t Need You”. A music video was released with the video as well, and it was about a marriage being ruined.
On April 6, 2017, Matt Tuck tweeted, “Here we go again. #BFMV6”, which suggested that the band were beginning work on the sixth album. Finally, on November 6, 2017, it was announced that they had begun recording the album, which was delayed due to issues relating to the “Live In Brixton: Chapter II” DVD.
On November 29th, for an interview with Kerrang!, Matt Tuck detailed his album for us and called it “the most special, real and exciting album we’ve ever made.” he says that they have renewed their formulas, are starting a new chapter in the band and cite Bring Me the Horizon as a great inspiration for change. Matt also said that his lyrics were largely “caused” by his divorce from his ex-wife Charlotte Beedell.
When asked about the album’s material, he revealed that it would probably be an album of 10 songs with 3 more reserved for the Deluxe version; he also mentions one called “Leap of Faith” as the song that shows the entire sound of the album (I also said that it is equivalent to what No Way Out did, it showed the entire atmosphere of the album). The scheduled release date is mid-May, after the tour with Avenged Sevenfold and ends with the phrase, “This album is going to piss some people off…”
On April 1, 2018, their first single, called “Over it”, was released, and the album’s release was confirmed for June 29, 2018, the same day they will play at the Download Festival. The singles “Piece of Me” (April 27, 2018) and Letting You Go (May 18, 2018) were also released. The album has a Hard Rock and Nu-Metal sound.
In their homeland, they have been on the cover of magazines Rock Sound, Kerrang! and Metal Hammer. In 2006, they won the “Golden God Award” given by Metal Hammer for the Best British Band and the award for “Best British Single”, given by Kerrang!, to the track “Tears Don’t Fall”. In the USA, Revolver magazine considered Bullet “Best British Import of the Year”, and the album The Poison gave rise to the hit singles “Tears Don’t Fall” and “All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)”, whose video reached number one on the MTV2 channel.
In 2021, their song “Knifes” was named by Loudwire as the 18th best Metal song of 2021.
Members
Matthew Tuck – vocals and guitar (1998-present)
Michael Paget – guitar and backing vocals (1998–present)
Jason Bowld – drummer (2016-present)
Jamie Mathias – bass and backing vocals (2015-present)
Former members
Michael Thomas – drums (1998-2016)
Jason James – bass and backing vocals (2003-2015)[52]
Nick Crandle – bass (1998-2003)
Studio albums
The Poison (2005)
Scream Aim Fire (2008)
Fever (2010)
Temper Temper (2013)
Venom (2015)
Gravity (2018)
Bullet For My Valentine (2021)