In the case of some long-running bands, you feel like they’ve been around forever and ever, just churning out the same tired old stuff. With others, it feels as though you turn around and 10 or even 20 years have come and gone in a flash. You can trace the origins of this classic Welsh heavy act all the way back to 1998, so they are approaching two decades together as a band. It has also been more than 10 years since they released their debut album The Poison back in 2005. Lead guitarist and backing vocalist Michael ‘Padge’ Paget, speaking from on the road in the States on the hot and gruelling Warped Tour, cannot believe how quickly it’s all gone by.
“It’s all so long ago, but it’s been the quickest ten years of our lives!” He exclaims. “We’ve spent so much time on it, and it’s been mind-blowing for all of us, we would never have expected this. We’ve taken some of the fans with us over all that time too, and it’s just been so much fun. Hopefully there’ll another ten more too.”
Indeed, Padge feels as though there still plenty of juice left in the Bullet tank – creatively, personally and motivationally – that they have more territory left to conquer and that they want to continue to build their notoriety across the globe.
“Yeah we’re all still really angry, and even though we’ve done so much, we still want to be as big a band as we possibly can,” he states. “There’s always something more to do, and we always seek to somehow be better in what we do, and we can still build our name around the world.”
In the shorter to medium term, it’s been over a year now since the release of their last album Venom. Padge states that they already have some new musical ideas, and it won’t be too long before the band start thinking about and working on what will be their sixth record.
“Yeah, there’s always riffs flying around,” he says. “We’ve got about nine days off when we get back home, so hopefully we’ll get some time to jump in the studio and start throwing some things down. We’ll try to do as much as we can so that when the time comes we’ll sit down with the lads and get something going as soon as possible. I think that’s the plan.”
Before they start writing in earnest for the next BFMV album however, there is also the matter of an Australian tour to do, which is coming up next month and takes in every mainland state. Padge is very much looking forward to coming back Down Under to play a full set for the Aussie fans again.
“We can’t wait man,” he enthuses. “It’s been a long time since we did a headline tour over there. We’ve been doing the Soundwave thing the last few times. It’s going to be really interesting, to come down and do our full thing for the fans, and bring our own production own too.
“I think the Melbourne show is already sold out, so we’re doing a second show there, so we’re stoked.”
And in that full headline set, Padge promises they will touch on all five of their studio albums. “Yeah, we’ll try to do as much as we can, as much as our budget allows!” He laughs. “So it’s going to be a big one. I think we’ve nailed our full set, but when we play festivals, we do 30 or 40 minute sets, which is five or six songs. It’s really hard cutting it down now. That’s why we’re stoked to be back doing a full headline set for the Aussie fans where we can just wind it out.”
Venom is out now via rca/Sony Music. Bullet for My Valentine will be touring throughout Australia in October alongside Atreyu and Cane Hill. For more information visit destroyalllines.com.