Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh
heavy metal band from
Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by
Metallica and
Nirvana. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with
Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic heavy metal acts such as
Metallica,
Iron Maiden, and
Slayer. The band is part of the
Cardiff music scene. 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 to coincide with
Valentine's Day hence their band name. The album entered the
Billboard 200 in the US at number 128. It was certified
Gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America. The band made appearances at the
Download Festival and
Kerrang! XXV, and undertook a US tour 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 number three on the
Billboard 200. The band has sold over two million albums worldwide and are the most-successful act of all-time in the
Kerrang! Awards category of "Best British Band" with three wins.