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Bullet for My Valentine

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Bullet for My Valentine

Bullet for My Valentine (sometimes shortened to "Bullet" or "BFMV") is a four-piece metalcore band from Bridgend, South Wales. Formed in 1998 under the name "Jeff Killed John", they originally played Metallica, Limp Bizkit and Nirvana covers. They play a unique kind of metal, inspired by heavy metal and thrash, resulting in diverse songs, some more melodic, but — especially in the older ones — much screaming can be heard, causing them to have a sound that is categorized into metalcore.

Early days

They initially struggled to find success, and tensions arose when other Welsh bands such as Lostprophets and Funeral for a Friend were getting noticed and became more popular. When it came to the band recording a demo, things didn't go as well as planned and the original bass player, Nick Crandle, quit the band a day before they were due to record. The band couldn't get it together to record a demo, and subsequently split up. But despite this, they did get back together and they found a new bassist in the shape of Jason 'Jay' James. They changed their name from "12 Pints of my Girlfriend's Blood" to"Jeff Killed John" then "Opportunity in Chicago", then subsequently to "Bullet For My Valentine".
The band later signed a deal with Sony via 20-20 Entertainment in October 2004. Visible Noise released the "Hand Of Blood" EP and debut album The Poison in the UK, both produced and mixed by Colin Richardson.

Rise to fame

They released their first EP, Bullet For My Valentine, on November 15, 2004 through Visible Noise in the UK, and on November 30, 2004 in the US through Trustkill Records. A second EP, Hand Of Blood, was released on August 22, 2005 through Trustkill Records in the US only.

A music video for the song Hand of Blood was released to promote both EPs. The song "Hand of Blood," from their EP of the same name, landed itself onto a Trustkill compilation record entitled Tuckkill Takeover. The band also released "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" on March 28, 2005. The Vinyl was limited to 1000 copies. The CD/Vinyl was deleted on day of release, so no new copies are available.

Their debut album The Poison was released in the UK on October 3, 2005. The first single from "The Poison," called "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)", was released on September 19 2005. Trustkill Records (the U.S. label for the band) released The Poison in the United States on February 14, 2006.

The song "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" is used in NHL 06 and Madden NFL 06 by EA Sports. The lyric in the bridge that goes; "Pull it out from my back" is changed to "Betrayed from my back".

"Hand of Blood" is used in Need for Speed: Most Wanted and Burnout Revenge. In Need for Speed: Most Wanted as well as Burnout Revenge, the second verse of "Hand of Blood" is completely edited out due to content.

The band recently completed a headline run on the Kerrang! XXV tour at which on the final night in Brixton Academy they filmed footage for their new DVD. This DVD was their first release on Columbia Records.

Bullet For My Valentine have played at the Download Festival in Donington Park three years running, alongside hugely popular bands including Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Trivium and Tool. They first appeared at Download Festival 2004, playing the Barfly stage. In 2005, with their increased popularity, Bullet For My Valentine played on the much larger Snickers stage. By 2006, the band had been moved to near the top of the main stage bill, playing on the Sunday night below Guns N' Roses and Funeral for a Friend.

They opened for Guns N' Roses at four shows in New York City, at the Hammerstein Ballroom, on May 12th, 14th, 15th, and 17th. They were also the warmup band for Metallica on June 13, 2006 and opened for Iron Maiden in Boston on June 10, 2006.

Bullet For My Valentine joined Guns N’ Roses' first full UK tour since 1993 as the support act, as well as Sebastian Bach, whilst also doing several instore signings in Birmingham, Nottingham and London.

In early 2006, Bullet For My Valentine headlined the Kerrang! Tour with Aiden, Still Remains and Hawthorne Heights supporting.

During the November 2006 tour with As I Lay Dying, Matt Tuck suffered from laryngitis which lead to a number of shows being postponed until early January; where they then re-started the rest of their tour again, beginning on the 3rd of January 2007, at the Newcastle-Academy, and also played for the first time, 2 of their new songs "Scream, Aim, & Fire" and "Disappear". Also on this tour the band play a cover of Metallica's Creeping Death. For the most part of these dates, screaming duties were handed over to guitarist Padge and bass player "Jay" James, while Matt Tuck recovered from his illness.

The band also headlined the Kerrang! Awards in London soon after playing the Download Festival.

Matthew Tuck (frontman) has told Kerrang! magazine, "We've written eight new songs already, we're going to be recording the new record at the end of the year so we're just trying to get a big head start." The band will record their new album in El Paso, Texas later in the year.

In 2006, Bullet for My Valentine performed on the Van's Warped Tour and toured with Eighteen Visions and Escape The Fate, and later heavy metal legends Iron Maiden.

BFMV plan to release "All These Things I Hate" (Revolve Around Me) as a single in the U.S. to radio airways the second week in January. Around that time they also plan to return to the studio to record their follow up to The Poison. Their second album is scheduled for a tentative June 2007 release. In an interview with Kerrang Magazine the band named 2 other new songs as "Kill Your Enemies" and "Waking The Demon". The band are said to have taken on a "Slayer, early Metallica old - school thrash sound, coming away from the melodic romance themes".

Members

Discography

Albums



EPs

Vinyl

Singles

DVDs

Influences

Awards

  • They won the 2005 Kerrang! award for 'Best British Newcomer', and decided to accept an offer from Kerrang! to headline their 25th anniversary tour of the UK.
  • They won the 2005 Welsh Music Award for "Best Newcomer"
  • They won the 2005 Best performer on "The Guest List" (UK TV music program).
  • They won the 2006 Metal Hammer Golden God Award award for 'Best British Band.'
  • They won the 2006 Kerrang! award for 'Best UK single' for their track 'Tears Don't Fall', taken from the album The Poison

they won the best the 2006 gay parade award

Trivia

  • While on stage members of the band have been seen wearing Slayer, Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Metallica, Trivium, Aiden, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Cannibal Corpse, Children of the Gravy (Fellow Bridgend based metal band) and The Punisher t-shirts.
  • Bullet For My Valentine and Aiden are now "drinking buddies" after their first encounters together and were getting drunk together most of the Kerrang! Awards afterparty.
  • During live shows Bullet For My Valentine encourage fans to take part in mosh pits and circle pits, most commonly during the song 'No Control'.
  • Although commonly seen using a Jackson, in the video for "Tears Don't Fall", Padget is using a ESP Eclipse guitar, he is also seen using a Gibson explorer on occasion.
  • Whilst in their early stages as 'Jeff Killed John' they were managed by Visage frontman Steve Strange.
  • The lead singer, Matt Tuck guest stars on the Apocalyptica song Repressed with Max Calavera.
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