In advance of their upcoming Australian tour, Dane Wang had a brief chat with Michael "Moose" Thomas, drummer for Welsh rockers (and no strangers to our shores),
Bullet For My Valentine.

First of all congratulations on debuting at #3 on The Billboard 200 and #1 on Billboard’s Rock and Alternative Charts, how did you feel when you first received the news?

To be honest I didn't care.  For me at the end of the day it was nice but its not the best we can do.  Next time its going to no.1!!

Do you feel you have defined "The Bullet for My Valentine sound" with the new album, or will BFMV continue to evolve over the years to come?

We don't think about it.  We just write songs and they sound the way the sound.  This album has the right mix of our previous albums though.

This time around you decided to go with producer Don Gilmore, what brought him into the fold?

We wanted to step up. Don seemed like a step up and his previous work speaks for itself. 

What was it like recording with him?

Easy, fast, painless and fun.

Are you pleased with the end result?

Over the moon.  Sounded better than I could have imagined it. 

Was there any pressure surrounding the recording of this album?

None at all.  Pressure was all on the second album so on this we had laugh.  We kicked back and really enjoyed the process.

How did the recording process differ from Scream Aim Fire?

Musically quicker and less stressful.   More fun as well.

I really enjoy the song Fever especially the part “Come here you naughty girl you're such a tease, You look so beautiful down on your knees…” What was the reason for this song? 

We just wanted a non-serious party song that we have never written before.  Fever is that song.

This September you return to Australia, how have we treated you in the past?

Amazing one of the best places we have toured.  Great people and great wine.  We love our Aussie cousins.

Besides playing the shows what are you looking forward to most?

On our whole two days off in Australia I will mostly be nursing a big hangover.

You’ll be coming with Bring Me The Horizon and Cancer Bats, quite a mixed bill. In your opinion, what makes these bands a must see?

Both great bands but we didn't pick them.

What can Australian fans expect in terms of setlists and performance this time around?

New songs, old songs and a better production.  A better live performance than you have seen before from BFMV.

You have been a band for nearly 12 years, do you ever feel like taking a break from it all?

No. What else would we do?

And finally, is there still anything you'd like to achieve as a band you haven’t already?

Yeah lots.  Too many to mention.  When an old goal is reached a new one is made.

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Don't miss the upcoming Australian Tour! Here are the dates:

SUNDAY 5 SEPTEMBER  PERTH, CHALLENGE STADIUM – Lic A/A
www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100
 
TUESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER ADELAIDE, THEBARTON THEATRE – Lic A/A
www.venuetix.com.au & Venuetix outlets

 THURSDAY 9 SEPTEMBER MELBOURNE, FESTIVAL HALL – Lic. and Unlic areas available
www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100
 
FRIDAY 10 SEPTEMBER SYDNEY, HORDERN PAVILION – Lic A/A
www.ticketek.com.au 132 849
 
SATURDAY 11 SEPTEMBER BRISBANE, THE RIVERSTAGE – Lic A/A
www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100, Rockinghorse and Kill The Music