Photo by Jason Squires
Through heart-piercing screams, furious guitar riffs, angry vocals, pounding drum lines, and vicious solos, Bullet For My Valentine’s latest album Venom, released about a year ago, ranks as BFMV’s darkest album to date, explained guitarist Michael “Padge” Paget.
While distinctly heavy metal, their music easily fits into both the punk and metalcore genres.
During an interview several years back, they described the earlier albums The Poison (2005) and Fever (2010) as “super-dark.” Said Paget, “I think Venom is even darker, myself. We wanted to make a gritty heavy metal record…, [to] make sure that every song is 100 percent banger.”
This plan worked out well for them, explained Paget. “Whenever you release an album, you don’t really know how it is going to go. You hope it’s going to go great,” and because of the band’s tireless work, Venom was great. Paget continued, “At the end of the day we are a heavy-metal band, hard rock, and so we tried to stay as close to our roots as we possibly could.”
While distinctly heavy metal, their music easily fits into both the punk and metalcore genres.
During an interview several years back, they described the earlier albums The Poison (2005) and Fever (2010) as “super-dark.” Said Paget, “I think Venom is even darker, myself. We wanted to make a gritty heavy metal record…, [to] make sure that every song is 100 percent banger.”
This plan worked out well for them, explained Paget. “Whenever you release an album, you don’t really know how it is going to go. You hope it’s going to go great,” and because of the band’s tireless work, Venom was great. Paget continued, “At the end of the day we are a heavy-metal band, hard rock, and so we tried to stay as close to our roots as we possibly could.”
Photo by Jason Squires
Part of what characterizes BFMV’s albums is Paget’s impressive guitar solos, which are not basic solos, nor are they boring, single-rhythm shredders. Seemingly without effort, he varies style, intervals, and rhythm within each solo and between solos. He has created a distinctly “Paget” sound that I associate with immense talent and hours in the woodshed.
Paget said that with difficult solos, he sits and works through it. “I need to slow this bit down, and then work the speed back up,” he gave as an example. “[It’s] just practice and rehearsal.”
Paget said that with difficult solos, he sits and works through it. “I need to slow this bit down, and then work the speed back up,” he gave as an example. “[It’s] just practice and rehearsal.”
Photo by Jason Squires Paget’s life of guitar playing started in his teens, when he decided that looking and acting edgy was important. “It was all Nirvana. I was a total grunger,” laughed Paget. “I fell for the whole Nirvana thing, the explosion of Nirvana. It was the main reason I started playing guitar, why I started getting into bands…, dying my hair, ripping my jeans, wearing cardigans, [and] sleeping under fucking bridges.”
He found a friend group to hang and jam with. “There was a whole bunch of us. [We] used to take our acoustic guitars, go somewhere where the jocks couldn’t find us, and just drink beer, play guitar, smoke cigarettes,” Paget explained. “That’s how I learned, basically.”
Paget added that the jocks always hated his group of friends. Why? “Because the girls would rather hang out with us ‘cause we were never trying to get in their pants,” said Paget, proving that being a respectful musician is the way to go.
He found a friend group to hang and jam with. “There was a whole bunch of us. [We] used to take our acoustic guitars, go somewhere where the jocks couldn’t find us, and just drink beer, play guitar, smoke cigarettes,” Paget explained. “That’s how I learned, basically.”
Paget added that the jocks always hated his group of friends. Why? “Because the girls would rather hang out with us ‘cause we were never trying to get in their pants,” said Paget, proving that being a respectful musician is the way to go.
Photo by Jason Squires
Hailing from Wales, BFMV tours internationally, and thus has experienced many regional foods. Paget said that although steaks from Texas and Brazil are fantastic, nothing quite beats a home-cooked meal.
Even while on tour, his family has a roast dinner every Sunday, which they call ‘Sunday Lunch.’ “We have gravy, potatoes, [and] chicken or beef or lamb,” said Paget wistfully. “There’s all these pictures on Instagram, just dribbling, and it’s like, ‘you fuckers.’”
Despite the lack of home-cooked Welsh food, Paget and his bandmates still manage to have a good time on tour, especially thanks to the bands they tour with, including 36 Crazy Fists, Avenged Sevenfold, and Asking Alexandria, among others.
“They’re all around fun dudes. They like a drink as well,” remembered Paget. “Crazy stuff happens, but it’s not illegal or anything stupid like that. It’s just good happy fun times.”
Even while on tour, his family has a roast dinner every Sunday, which they call ‘Sunday Lunch.’ “We have gravy, potatoes, [and] chicken or beef or lamb,” said Paget wistfully. “There’s all these pictures on Instagram, just dribbling, and it’s like, ‘you fuckers.’”
Despite the lack of home-cooked Welsh food, Paget and his bandmates still manage to have a good time on tour, especially thanks to the bands they tour with, including 36 Crazy Fists, Avenged Sevenfold, and Asking Alexandria, among others.
“They’re all around fun dudes. They like a drink as well,” remembered Paget. “Crazy stuff happens, but it’s not illegal or anything stupid like that. It’s just good happy fun times.”
Photo by Jason Squires When Paget actually does have down time, he produces music in his home-built studio.
“I just kind of built up my own studio piece by piece. I just learned it by myself, bought some books, watched a bunch of YouTube videos,” explained Paget.
Because of his self-taught experience, Paget was able to demo Venom, and thereby help out the band financially.
“I spent a fortune, but the band saved a fortune!” he laughed.
Paget also works with local Welsh bands, and praised a nearby promoter who helps give those bands a leg-up in the industry.
Still on the road for Venom, Paget is performing night after night, getting doses of what he describes as “the best drug in the world.”
“Nothing beats it, you know,” said Paget about performing. “And to be able to do it, it’s just an honor really. I feel so lucky; it’s like winning the musical lottery.”
So go check out Paget and the rest of his crew as they get high on their army of noise.
“I just kind of built up my own studio piece by piece. I just learned it by myself, bought some books, watched a bunch of YouTube videos,” explained Paget.
Because of his self-taught experience, Paget was able to demo Venom, and thereby help out the band financially.
“I spent a fortune, but the band saved a fortune!” he laughed.
Paget also works with local Welsh bands, and praised a nearby promoter who helps give those bands a leg-up in the industry.
Still on the road for Venom, Paget is performing night after night, getting doses of what he describes as “the best drug in the world.”
“Nothing beats it, you know,” said Paget about performing. “And to be able to do it, it’s just an honor really. I feel so lucky; it’s like winning the musical lottery.”
So go check out Paget and the rest of his crew as they get high on their army of noise.
 | Zoe Adler is a music journalist from Long Beach, California. She is the editor and founder of TeenView Music and editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper, as well as a dedicated musician. As principal flutist of her school’s orchestra and band as well as a bass trombonist in jazz, she believes that she would not have a life if it weren’t for music. |
RSS Feed
