BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE Frontman On Upcoming Album: 'We've Definitely Nailed It On This Record'

South Africa's Voice Of Rock Radio conducted an interview with vocalist/guitarist Matt Tuck of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE when the band played the One Night In Cape Town indoor festival on August 9.

Asked about BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's longevity and musical progression over the years, Tuck said, "I definitely think we've got longevity, 'cause we are longevity. We've been doing this eight years now and we're still at the top of the game of… we're still at the top of our tree of our style of music. I mean, no one's really kind of tried to take us over. So we have kind of taken the foot off the gas already a little bit with [2010's] 'Fever', and the album we just recorded, we've actually backed off a little bit again — not because we don't think people don't wanna hear heavy music, we've actually made it heavier by slowing down and less is more. Like METALLICA's 'black album,' you wouldn't necessarily call it a heavy album, but the sound of it is fucking heavy and it's big and it sounds timeless because of that. It's not a million miles an hour — it's big and heavy and loud. We're not trying to make a 'black' album, we're just trying to kind of take that theory of slowing down, putting less technical bits in and concentrating on the vocals and the meat and bones of the song."

According to Tuck, the recording sessions for BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's new album went more smoothly than those for the band's previous CDs, due in part to the experience of working with acclaimed rock producer Don Gilmore (LINKIN PARK, GOOD CHARLOTTE) on the group's last LP, the aforementioned "Fever". "We worked with Don Gilmore again on this new record we just finished, Matt said. "For me, it's a huge compliment that he really didn't have much input, 'cause on the last record he did, and it kind of opened my eyes to write differently and to think about, not slowing things down, but kind of… there's no restraint on screaming and restraint on a million miles an hour. It's not necessary, really. We've kind of done that [already]. So on this record, [he kind of] sat back and let me do it without having much input, which to me, knowing Don, is a huge compliment, 'cause it means I've kind of done it right by my own. So, yeah, we've definitely fucking nailed it on this record. I know it's a long way before coming out and anyone's gonna hear anything, but I've lived with [it] and I know what it is, and trust me, it's good."

"Fever" sold 71,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart. "Fever" also landed in the Top Five in Australia, the U.K., Japan, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.