Bullet for My Valentine to perform in LA
Popular U.K. metal band Bullet for My Valentine is back and bites harder than ever with their newest album, Venom, in addition to a year-long headlining tour titled The British Invasion.
Following much success in 2013, with Temper Temper debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Music Albums Chart and top 15 on the Billboard Top 200, BFMV aims to leave a mark on the genre while maintaining previous success with their fifth full-length record.
After saying goodbye to bassist Jason “Jay” James and welcoming Jamie Matthias on bass and backing vocals, the band decided to go a different direction in recording. Though BFMV previously wrote and recorded in compressed time periods, the band members wrote Venom in six months in guitarist, Michael — also known as “Padge” — Paget’s home.
In addition, BFMV invited Colin Richardson and Carl Bown, the men who produced their earlier albums like The Poison in 2005 and Scream Aim Fire in 2008, to produce Venom, adding a sense of familiarity to the record.
Venom is packed with energetic, menacing and heavy ballads, including the title track, a piece with each elaborate scream acting as emotional catharsis to the harsh realities of life. Other songs such as “You Want a Battle? (Here’s a War)” feature ostentatious rhythms, passionate screams and a powerful guitar presence from guitarists Matt Tuck and Paget.
Bullet for My Valentine will be performing a show with Asking Alexandria and While She Sleeps at The Wiltern Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
The Daily Trojan had an opportunity to interview Paget about Venom and the album’s inspiration over the phone.
Daily Trojan: Your band’s new album Venom has been described as similar in style and sound to your older albums, for example The Poison. Would you agree that your sound has gone back to your roots, or would you consider this statement invalid?
Michael Paget: Yes, well, we definitely wanted to write a record truer to our roots this time. We didn’t intend so much to draw influence from The Poison, but just to write a metal record.
DT: “Army of Noise” is the song that is the most different than the others in the album. What was the inspiration for writing this song, and what do you think makes it so unique?
MP: We wrote the music for “Army of Noise” on tour but rewrote it during the Venom sessions. We love a bit of old school thrash and figured why not go for it. It’s a great song to play live.
DT: You obviously have been and continue to be a very successful band. What are your goals and hopes for the future of it?
MP: We just want to continue writing music and have fun doing it. We are so honored to have this career, and blown away that it’s now been 11 years and counting. It’s still very exciting for us.
DT: What do you think was the biggest obstacle you faced as a musician and member of a band?
MP: Being the best that you can be is demanding. I also think that temptation is very difficult for any member of a rock/metal band. On the road, it’s sometimes very hard to stay focused.
DT: What would you say to people who have not been exposed to this genre of music and are actually sort of afraid of it to be able to appreciate metal the way that you do?
MP: Our genre is definitely a good way to get rid of demons and free yourself from the banes of life. It works for me. But I do love all kinds of music too. I will try anything really.
DT: Describe Venom in three words.
MP: Our best record.