Bullet for My Valentine

Welsh four-piece Bullet for My Valentine has made a habit of wearing its intentions on its sleeve, and getting down to the business of crafting substantial but melodic 21st-century metal with immense crossover appeal. Frontman Matt Tuck has described the band's sound as "hard rock" with "metal influences" (such as Slayer, Iron Maiden and Metallica), and the benefits of such immovable foundations can be heard right here, as we survey their three album career to date. "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" was the first song written by the band after they dropped the moniker Jeff Killed John, and remains a standout on debut album The Poison (2005); "Waking the Demon" captures the increase in pace and aggression generated by 2008 follow-up Scream Aim Fire; and "The Last Fight", from 2010's Fever, cements the band's ability to draw a solid following that stretches from Cardiff to California and beyond.