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Bullet for My Valentine: Scream, Aim, Conquer: The Biography
In the early 2000s, a few small ex-mining towns around the South Wales valleys became an unlikely hotbed for some of the most exciting new rock and metal bands in the world. Following on from the vanguard of Lostprophets and Funeral for a Friend, four childhood friends formed Bullet for My Valentine and ultimately became the scene’s largest export. Combining the ferocious riffs and militaristic drums of eighties thrash with an undeniable pop sensibility, Bullet for My Valentine have gone on to sell millions of records worldwide. From the incendiary fury of their breakout debut The Poison to the fifth album Venom released in August 2015, the quartet have become the biggest British metal band since Iron Maiden. This book traces their story, from the crisis that almost ended the band’s career early to the glorious highs of sell-out hometown shows; from the sleepy valleys of Wales to a seat at the table of heavy metal legends.
288 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 2, 2017
A traditional Welsh Cawl is made by filling a pot with the bacon pieces, leek, lamb chops, handfuls of oatmeal and spoons of flour, slices of potatoes, swede, carrots and other savory herbs. Then the stew-pot is left to bubble for a while. This way you earn the interest and taste. It's the national dish of Wales.
A traditional Welsh heavy metal band is created in much the same way, alludes Ben Welch in his new biography [Scream Aim Conquer] the biography about Bridgend's favoured sons “Bullet for My Valentine.”
Apparently, "Bullet" was formed by putting together random bits 'n' bobs ... then leaving the concoction to stew for a while. They came out tasty.
Once, before Thatcher and the miners' strike (1984-1985) the only way to escape the depressing Valleys of South Wales was to join the army or become a school teacher. But once the mines, iron works, factories and engine sheds were all closed for good, the only place to find work in the valley was at a call center or on a street corner. The impulse to “get away” from Wales became increasingly urgent.
Thus the Manic Street Preachers (1986) Feeder (1991) Stereophonics (1992) Skindred (1998 —and their previous incarnation Dub War — 1993) Super Furry Animals (1993) Public Disturbance (1995) Catatonia (circa 1995) Lostprophets (1997) and Funeral for a Friend (2001) all came from the same rich fireclay of Welsh talent-bearing strata.
As the author Ben Welch points out, escape-thru-music was not a new phenomena (after all (Sir Tom Jones left the “Green green grass” of Pontypridd back in 1964) ) but by the mid-to-late 1990's (largely due to the mega-success of “The Manics”) and during the period that “Jeff Killed John” were playing clubs & pubs, the principality was being described as 'the New Seattle.' Because just like the city in Washington State — the kids of this region of the U.K. had come through a [metaphorical and literal] Gold Rush only to find themselves heading into a Great Depression. Hope lay in the discovery of a new form of popular music.
And the Seattle-like explosion of talent was just in time too ... for the first time for years the 1990s were becoming very lean musically ... especially for the phenomenon known as the NWOBHM. Alternative rock and grunge, in particular, became the dominant force. Cobain was the “spokesman of a generation” and rock bands like Foo Fighters and nu metal Korn were heading off on their own to create post-grunge sounds. This left Brit-rock behind. And floundering.
Welch illustrates the formative years of BFMV (Jeff Killed John 1998—2005) very expressively... He explains that the band toiled hard, they covered songs by Metallica and Nirvana till they became old hat (later these songs were replaced by Korn and Limp Bizkit numbers.) And the band members dreamed that one day they would be as successful as their heroes Metallica and Iron Maiden. As it turned out, the winding road from the Valley to world's stage was fortuitously protracted and lengthy... And the way Welch describes things in his book — Moose (drummer), Padge (guitar) and Matt (singer) didn't seem to have much of a plan anyway. They learned real-fast though and wanted to continue working. Perhaps this was the secret of their success. They worked hard. Got lucky. Stood firm. So when the band decided to rename (after bassist Nick Crandle left) they also decided on a strategy to play big-chorus heavy metal songs. It was a great idea. Shortly after this meeting (described in the book) the band released a sort of “pre-Poison” EP — and almost immediately Roadrunner Records offered them a deal.
In fact, they refused the deal with Roadrunner (another gold decision) and took up an offer, instead, to sign a five album deal with Sony BMG. The biography details how extraordinarily lucky this stroke of genius was. If they had risen a year later (or a year earlier) neither record deals would have been offered. A new generation was looming and the tectonic plates of the music business were rupturing. Peer-to-peer networks and file sharing were soon to become common-place. And the old- style business (record companies and contracts) was just about over. For a while it looked like the industry was going to hell in a Napster haversack.
Ben Welch is a competent writer and reliable chronicler. He describes the band's sound — filled with “Plenty of sophistication […] counter riffs and melodic call-backs...” And he admits their song-writing was more often a case of magpie-like thievery. They stole bits from every band they admired (for example, Pantera) and their 'pop element' seemed to come from a love of Dylan and Springsteen.
In 2007 Tuck was forced to have a tonsillectomy, and all decisions were put on hold. Shows with Metallica were canceled and it seemed the future of “Bullet” was, for the first time, in real danger. Welch is keen to point out that these throat problems were not new... it was a looming disaster that prefigured all other things ... actually from their very beginning. But, without wanting to spoil the “plot” of this biography — things resolved in the end.
During 1992-95 and the Britpop years the American record-buying public turned away from the music of their influential cousins across the water. So BLUR failed to break into the U.S. (even after two months of relentless gigging in 1992.) OASIS was roundly condemned after a concert in the Radio City Music Hall New York, in 1996. Even the cheeky-chappy and all-round entertainer Robbie Williams could not get a foothold . But Bullet for My Valentine was able to make a success of it. Although they were careful not to let it go to their heads “A lot of bands go over there and try to take on the American lifestyle […] We're British and we just want to go over there and show them what we can do...”
So, although the famous drinking session in Phoenix derailed the first American tour , the band eventually found themselves opening for Rod Zombie. (He made their life hell, according to the book... although the lads themselves were never impolite about the break that the Zombie tour had given them.)
Eventually, through diligence & hard work, common sense & good attitude and a lot of peer-respect, the band from South Wales was able to share the stage with their heroes: Metallica. “They were every bit the gentlemen they hoped they would be...” says Welch, who described the heavy metal band from Los Angeles. He could have just as easily been describing “Bullet.”
Last February Bullet for My Valentine announced their drummer “Moose” Thomas would be out of the band for a few months (Jason Bowld from AxeWound would replace him), and so the story continues ...
Bullet for My Valentine: Scream, Aim, Conquer is published by John Blake Publishing
Words: Neil Mach 2017 ©
A traditional Welsh heavy metal band is created in much the same way, alludes Ben Welch in his new biography [Scream Aim Conquer] the biography about Bridgend's favoured sons “Bullet for My Valentine.”
Apparently, "Bullet" was formed by putting together random bits 'n' bobs ... then leaving the concoction to stew for a while. They came out tasty.
Once, before Thatcher and the miners' strike (1984-1985) the only way to escape the depressing Valleys of South Wales was to join the army or become a school teacher. But once the mines, iron works, factories and engine sheds were all closed for good, the only place to find work in the valley was at a call center or on a street corner. The impulse to “get away” from Wales became increasingly urgent.
Thus the Manic Street Preachers (1986) Feeder (1991) Stereophonics (1992) Skindred (1998 —and their previous incarnation Dub War — 1993) Super Furry Animals (1993) Public Disturbance (1995) Catatonia (circa 1995) Lostprophets (1997) and Funeral for a Friend (2001) all came from the same rich fireclay of Welsh talent-bearing strata.
As the author Ben Welch points out, escape-thru-music was not a new phenomena (after all (Sir Tom Jones left the “Green green grass” of Pontypridd back in 1964) ) but by the mid-to-late 1990's (largely due to the mega-success of “The Manics”) and during the period that “Jeff Killed John” were playing clubs & pubs, the principality was being described as 'the New Seattle.' Because just like the city in Washington State — the kids of this region of the U.K. had come through a [metaphorical and literal] Gold Rush only to find themselves heading into a Great Depression. Hope lay in the discovery of a new form of popular music.
And the Seattle-like explosion of talent was just in time too ... for the first time for years the 1990s were becoming very lean musically ... especially for the phenomenon known as the NWOBHM. Alternative rock and grunge, in particular, became the dominant force. Cobain was the “spokesman of a generation” and rock bands like Foo Fighters and nu metal Korn were heading off on their own to create post-grunge sounds. This left Brit-rock behind. And floundering.
Welch illustrates the formative years of BFMV (Jeff Killed John 1998—2005) very expressively... He explains that the band toiled hard, they covered songs by Metallica and Nirvana till they became old hat (later these songs were replaced by Korn and Limp Bizkit numbers.) And the band members dreamed that one day they would be as successful as their heroes Metallica and Iron Maiden. As it turned out, the winding road from the Valley to world's stage was fortuitously protracted and lengthy... And the way Welch describes things in his book — Moose (drummer), Padge (guitar) and Matt (singer) didn't seem to have much of a plan anyway. They learned real-fast though and wanted to continue working. Perhaps this was the secret of their success. They worked hard. Got lucky. Stood firm. So when the band decided to rename (after bassist Nick Crandle left) they also decided on a strategy to play big-chorus heavy metal songs. It was a great idea. Shortly after this meeting (described in the book) the band released a sort of “pre-Poison” EP — and almost immediately Roadrunner Records offered them a deal.
In fact, they refused the deal with Roadrunner (another gold decision) and took up an offer, instead, to sign a five album deal with Sony BMG. The biography details how extraordinarily lucky this stroke of genius was. If they had risen a year later (or a year earlier) neither record deals would have been offered. A new generation was looming and the tectonic plates of the music business were rupturing. Peer-to-peer networks and file sharing were soon to become common-place. And the old- style business (record companies and contracts) was just about over. For a while it looked like the industry was going to hell in a Napster haversack.
Ben Welch is a competent writer and reliable chronicler. He describes the band's sound — filled with “Plenty of sophistication […] counter riffs and melodic call-backs...” And he admits their song-writing was more often a case of magpie-like thievery. They stole bits from every band they admired (for example, Pantera) and their 'pop element' seemed to come from a love of Dylan and Springsteen.
In 2007 Tuck was forced to have a tonsillectomy, and all decisions were put on hold. Shows with Metallica were canceled and it seemed the future of “Bullet” was, for the first time, in real danger. Welch is keen to point out that these throat problems were not new... it was a looming disaster that prefigured all other things ... actually from their very beginning. But, without wanting to spoil the “plot” of this biography — things resolved in the end.
During 1992-95 and the Britpop years the American record-buying public turned away from the music of their influential cousins across the water. So BLUR failed to break into the U.S. (even after two months of relentless gigging in 1992.) OASIS was roundly condemned after a concert in the Radio City Music Hall New York, in 1996. Even the cheeky-chappy and all-round entertainer Robbie Williams could not get a foothold . But Bullet for My Valentine was able to make a success of it. Although they were careful not to let it go to their heads “A lot of bands go over there and try to take on the American lifestyle […] We're British and we just want to go over there and show them what we can do...”
So, although the famous drinking session in Phoenix derailed the first American tour , the band eventually found themselves opening for Rod Zombie. (He made their life hell, according to the book... although the lads themselves were never impolite about the break that the Zombie tour had given them.)
Eventually, through diligence & hard work, common sense & good attitude and a lot of peer-respect, the band from South Wales was able to share the stage with their heroes: Metallica. “They were every bit the gentlemen they hoped they would be...” says Welch, who described the heavy metal band from Los Angeles. He could have just as easily been describing “Bullet.”
Last February Bullet for My Valentine announced their drummer “Moose” Thomas would be out of the band for a few months (Jason Bowld from AxeWound would replace him), and so the story continues ...
Bullet for My Valentine: Scream, Aim, Conquer is published by John Blake Publishing
Words: Neil Mach 2017 ©
May 3, 2024
'𝖄𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖙𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖉𝖔𝖓'𝖙 𝖋𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖞 𝖈𝖗𝖚𝖘𝖍 𝖆𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉 𝖒𝖊...'
It is an absolutely amazing biography of one of my all-time favorite bands. Bullet was one, if not the gateway band, for me into metal music. So this book was a wonderful trip down memory lane. 15 year old me was listening religiously to ‘The Poison’ in 2006/2007 and later ‘Scream Aim Fire’ and ‘Fever’. Although I kind of lost track a little over time, I have been a fan ever since and always came back to their music. Especially lately. Since I finally saw them live last year, after 18 years, I can say: They’re still a force to reckon with, and they’re not done at all.
This biography was really well put together and written in chronological order, right before Bullets big breakthrough and, of course, the first ten years of their career. I love that we get a lot of background stories about the band, what was going on behind the scenes, how exhausting touring is, which bands are cool and which aren’t, how they wrote their albums and the struggles they went through in 2007. While the narrator was talking very specifically about all the songs on the albums from The Poison to Venom, I loved to come back to them and listen to them while reading or in between. I highly recommend doing this. It makes the feeling of reading it all the better.
What can I say? It was such a nice compilation of the band's history, and I loved every second of it. Hence why I read it in 1,5 days. This band will always have a special place in my heart, and it was nice to see/read that they’re also amazing human beings on and off stage. Not that I didn’t already know that from a lot of interviews. ;) Famous last words: If you’re a fan, you will love it, and if you’re not, you will definitely become one afterward!
It is an absolutely amazing biography of one of my all-time favorite bands. Bullet was one, if not the gateway band, for me into metal music. So this book was a wonderful trip down memory lane. 15 year old me was listening religiously to ‘The Poison’ in 2006/2007 and later ‘Scream Aim Fire’ and ‘Fever’. Although I kind of lost track a little over time, I have been a fan ever since and always came back to their music. Especially lately. Since I finally saw them live last year, after 18 years, I can say: They’re still a force to reckon with, and they’re not done at all.
This biography was really well put together and written in chronological order, right before Bullets big breakthrough and, of course, the first ten years of their career. I love that we get a lot of background stories about the band, what was going on behind the scenes, how exhausting touring is, which bands are cool and which aren’t, how they wrote their albums and the struggles they went through in 2007. While the narrator was talking very specifically about all the songs on the albums from The Poison to Venom, I loved to come back to them and listen to them while reading or in between. I highly recommend doing this. It makes the feeling of reading it all the better.
What can I say? It was such a nice compilation of the band's history, and I loved every second of it. Hence why I read it in 1,5 days. This band will always have a special place in my heart, and it was nice to see/read that they’re also amazing human beings on and off stage. Not that I didn’t already know that from a lot of interviews. ;) Famous last words: If you’re a fan, you will love it, and if you’re not, you will definitely become one afterward!
June 19, 2020
A really well put together biography of one of my favorite bands.
February 27, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It gave me even more of an insight into a band I love, and although I knew a lot of the information, it's great to read it all in chronological order.
Reading it reminded me of memories I'd forgotten- such as where I was when singles were released, how I felt listening to certain songs for the first time, concerts I was so jealous I never saw (including the tour with Halestorm).
I felt a lot of emotions reading this - not just because of the content, but because of how the content impacted me.
Reading it reminded me of memories I'd forgotten- such as where I was when singles were released, how I felt listening to certain songs for the first time, concerts I was so jealous I never saw (including the tour with Halestorm).
I felt a lot of emotions reading this - not just because of the content, but because of how the content impacted me.
September 5, 2021
Fantastic book
I absolutely loved this and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the band or a fan of the metal genre. The story’s amazing how four kids from England made a band and took over the world. Hopefully there will be a second book but we’ll see if that happens.
I absolutely loved this and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the band or a fan of the metal genre. The story’s amazing how four kids from England made a band and took over the world. Hopefully there will be a second book but we’ll see if that happens.
September 5, 2024
An essential must read for any fan of the first 5 albums of Bullet. Could not put it down and finished within a day. A great insight into the making of the records, tours and member's personal lives.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews