BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE Drummer: Former Bassist JASON 'JAY' JAMES 'Never Really Contributed Anyway'

In a brand new interview with CTNow, drummer Michael “Moose” Thomas of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE spoke about the band’s decision to abandon all traces of pop accessibility on their new album, “Venom”, and return to the more aggressive approach of their earlier efforts. He said: “We definitely know who we are at this point, and our fans definitely want that from us.

“Working with certain people and producers in the music industry, if you’ve had a radio hit at one time in your career, they try and make your whole album sound like that,” he continued. “We tried to do that on the last album, and we failed miserably. So we went back to our roots and picked up where we left off.”

Moose added: “People liked the band in the beginning because we had nothing to prove. On the first album, we didn’t know what we were doing. We were just writing songs. Then, with a little bit of success, you think, ‘Maybe if we tone it down a little, we’ll get even more success.’ But I don’t think that’s the case in heavy music at all. People like you for who you are, so if you just stay true to yourselves, people will like you all the more.”

Thomas also talked about the writing process for “Venom” following the departure of bassist Jason “Jay” James.

“God bless him, but he never really contributed anyway,” the drummer said about his former bandmate. “It was just the three of us putting stuff together. It was business as usual.”

Asked how Jamie Matthias, Jason‘s replacement, is fitting in, Thomas said: “Awesome. He just fit right in, like he’s been here for the last nine years. It’s like having a naughty little brother on tour. I just got on with him so easily. Him and Matt [Tuck, guitar/vocals], when they sing together, it’s just perfect. We can do things that we’ve never done before.”

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE‘s fifth studio album, “Venom”, will be released on August 14 via RCA. The CD was produced by Carl Bown and Colin Richardson (SLIPKNOT, MACHINE HEAD, TRIVIUM) at Metropolis Studio in London.