Bullet For My Valentine Interview
First there was Lost Prophets, then Funeral For A Friend, now the mighty BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE. Musical comparisons do not apply here but what does piece these bands together is the area they started from, Wales. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE formed in 1998 with the name Jeff Killed John, from the get go the band had the highs and lows but always came out in the end stronger and more secure.
Fast forward to 2004 and the release of their EP and a year later to HAND OF BLOOD a CD that started to make US fans intrigued but it wasn’t until THE POISON hit that this band’s career skyrocketed. The album from start to finish is purely entertaining. The single/videos that came from the album only made the band even more successful worldwide.
Now in 2007 the band is set to release a new disc, they still are touring their butts off and are completely humbled by the respect and love they have gotten. The band stopped in Worcester, Ma. and I finally got the privilege to sit with drummer Michael “Moose” Thomas to talk about success, the new record and this current tour.
I WAS JUST WONDERING, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING I READ ABOUT YOU GUYS, YOU HAVE THIS FIGHTING MENTALITY, LIKE IF SOMETHING WRONG HAPPENS, YOU FIGHT EVEN HARDER TO GET TO WHERE YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE GOING. DO YOU THINK THAT MENTALITY HAS MADE YOU POPULAR OVERSEAS AND IN THE STATES?
I don’t know—–we really don’t see an outside impression with our band, we just have the? four of us and we rely on that. If we want something to happen, it’s going to happen, if it’s not going to happen, it won’t happen, so we don’t really look at it as an outside thing. we just do what we do.
DO YOU THINK IT’S MADE YOU GUYS A STRONGER BAND?
Oh yeah, we know where we want to go and what we want to do and what we don’t want to do. We’re pretty strong headed in this band.
IT SEEMS THAT WAY! (laughing) ALL RIGHT, DO YOU FEEL FROM THE START THAT YOU GUYS HAD THE COURAGE, PASSION AND HONESTY AND THAT’S YOUR STABILITY TO BE IN THIS CAREER?
Yeah, we all grew up loving like old school metal, at a very young age, so we are just really down to earth, the place where we come from is very minimal and when we got back there our fans will just tell us to shut up if we say something so. It’s a very good place, they keep you grounded.
YOUR ON THE VERGE OF PUTTING “THE POISON” TO REST AND YOUR GOING AND YOUR GOING TO BE EMBARKING ON A WHOLE NEW ALBUM
Yes
IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE CAREER THAT “THE POISON” HAS GIVEN YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE STRONGEST HIGHLIGHT?
The strongest highlight has been this album has opened a lot of doors for us just like selling almost a million records and opening for like Iron Maiden, Metallica and Guns N Roses. Worldwide success just a number of things really like tour all year round, don’t have to go get a regular job.?
IS THERE ANY PRESSURE FOR YOU GUYS GOING INTO THIS SECOND ONE THAT YOU GUYS FEEL OR ARE YOU DOING THIS FOR YOURSELVES?
This record is more of what we like to do, it’s more, a lot faster than the THE POISON, it’s heavier. It’s more of the songs we wanted to do now, THE POISON was like a collection of songs that were hanging around like forever, three to five years and a few songs have been added to it but this album was written in the space of twelve months, I think. Being on the road, so this is more the first album, in my eyes it’s a much better album.
YOU KNOW WHAT MY FAVORITE SONG IS?
What?
THE END!
THE END, yeah well, it’s pretty much like that. It’s a lot more darker
OK. DO YOU THINK THE MORE MELODIC SIDE ON “THE POISON,” YOU DIDN’T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHOW OFF YOUR MUSICIANSHIP?
Yeah, this new record is the opposite of that, it’s completely on the higher level. It;s going to be like these boys can actually play there instruments..For us, we feel like THE POISON was a bit boring record for us to play.
WELL, MAYBE BECAUSE YOU’VE BEEN PLAYING THEM FOR SO LONG, RIGHT?
Yeah
WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE BIGGEST GROWTH FOR YOU ON YOUR INSTRUMENT? DO YOU FEEL WITH ALL THE TOURING YOU HAVE GROWN AS A DRUMMER?
Yeah, the band and I have defiantly become much more tighter playing, you can defiantly tell in this new record. Playing everyday has totally help us know our instruments better.
AND I’M SURE WATCHING LIKE IRON MAIDEN PLAY
Oh, yeah, definitely. Watching a band like that do it you kind of steal a piece to add to our show.
MATT’S LYRICS, I KNOW HE’S GOING INTO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION TOO IN WRITING, IT’S MORE DARKER, MORE NON-RELATIONSHIP. ARE YOU GUYS HAPPY WITH THIS, DOES HE COME TO YOU TO TALK ABOUT LYRICS OR IS IT REALLY HIM WRITING AND THEN YOU GUYS JUST GO WITH IT?
We write music as a band so we just leave the lyrics to Matt, so, personally I was a fan of relationship lyrics. I don’t like the whole emo thing, so I’m glad this has allowed him to experiment more. There’s a song about warfare on this record, a song about someone bullying, then some about demons and that, so it’s really good.
NOW, THE BULLY SONG, I READ ABOUT, IT’S ABOUT CUTTING A BULLY UP?
Yes
THAT’S KIND OF DEMENTED? (laughing)
Yeah, when you actually listen to the song, if you just give that description about the song people are like oh my God, it’s like cannibal corpses. The song is quite radio friendly, the lyrics are very hidden, you have to think about it.
DO YOU THINK HE GOT A LOT OF INSPIRATION FROM LYRICS JUST TOURING AND SEEING OTHER THINGS LIKE THE WHOLE WARFARE AND EVERYTHING, IT’S A BIG ISSUE IN THE STATES AND OVERSEAS?
I don’t think he wrote it because of the war going on now, it’s not about any war in particular, it’s just about what kind of feelings you would have if you were in the front lines, watching people being killed and stuff, it’s not about any war in particular, it’s just about the people who are evil and what just happens.
NOW, MUSICALLY WRITING FOR SOME OF THIS MUSIC, ARE YOU GUYS COMPLETELY DONE WITH IT?
Matt just has to do the lyrics and it’s done.
DID YOU GUYS EXPERIMENT, I KNOW YOU WENT HEAVIER, BUT DID YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT IN THE STUDIO THIS TIME?
No, we used the same producers as our last record, We just moved, we did it in Texas in El Paso.
DID YOU WEAR A COWBOY HAT?
No (laughing) Jay did always.
YOU DID THIS BETWEEN TOURING THEN?
Yes, we took January, February off to make the record.
AND MATT’S BACK IN GOOD HEALTH?
Yes, today actually, he woke up today and his voicebox was all enlarged so he’s in the hotel recovering. Otherwise, he’s doing OK.
ALL RIGHT. WORKING WITH COLIN RICHARDSON AGAIN AS A PRODUCER, WHEN YOU GUYS WENT INTO THE STUDIO DID HE LIKE PUSH YOU TO DO SOMETHING MORE THIS TIME, IS HE THAT TYPE OF PRODUCER?
He’s just very good because he’s a metal guy anyway. Before doing the recording, in September we did some preproduction, which means we sat in a room with Colin and basically played in the songs which he has and actually did some fresh songs there. He actually put in a lot of ideas, especially with me, we were just sitting and we would throw ideas around which I wouldn’t actually use on the drums but the suggestions worked.
COOL, ALL RIGHT. ARE WE STILL HOPING FOR A JUNE 2007 RELEASE?
No, it’s going to be October. I think it will be exactly two years from the date that THE POISON was released.
IS IT COMING OUT THE SAME FOR OVERSEAS AND HERE?
Yes, it’s going to be a worldwide release.
HOW’S THIS TOUR GOING?
Amazing, I mean, I can’t believe this venue is like eighty from selling out, last night was sold out which was Jersey 2,500 people, it’s crazy.
JAPAN THIS SUMMER?
Yes
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THERE?
Yes, we have three times
ARE YOU BIGGER THERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE?
Roughly the same size as we are now. In
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU EVER GOT AND FROM WHOM?
Lars Ulrich from Metallica. Try new monitors. I did and I love them
DO YOU GUYS GET NERVOUS BEFORE YOU GO ON STAGE?
I did yesterday for the first time in a long time
WHAT DO YOU DO TO CURE THE NERVOUSNESS? PACE BACK AND
It just goes as soon as soon as the first song is over
ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD?
Go buy the new record when it comes out. (laughing)
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Tags: Bullet For My Valentine, Hand Of Blood, The Poison, Trustkill Records, UVTV
