Rockwell AIM-65 computer. On display at the Musée Bolo,[1] EPFL, Lausanne.

AIM-65

Comelta Drac-1

Comelta Drac-1 and expansion box

back of expansion box

The Rockwell AIM-65 computer was a development computer based on the MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor introduced in 1976. The AIM-65 was essentially an expanded KIM-1 computer. Available software included a monitor with line at a time assembler/disassembler, BASIC interpreter, assembler, Pascal, PL/65, and FORTH development system. Available hardware included a floppy disk controller and a backplane for expansion.

Features[link]

Standard software included the system console monitor software in ROM, called Advanced Interactive Monitor. It featured line assembler, disassembler, setting and viewing memory and registers, starting execution of other programs and more. Single stepping was made possible using non-maskable interrupt (NMI). The command prompt was the less-than sign "<", and on receiving a single character command, it added this input character and the greater-than sign ">". If the thermal printer was turned on, this would be output on a single line. The monitor included a number of service routines that could be accessed and used by a user's program to control I/O and code execution, and was fully documented, including source code.

The machine featured dual cassette tape control. This made it possible to write large assembly programs using the two pass assembler ROM. Source code in text was written twice consecutively to the input tape, and then the assembler, which could start/stop the input cassette tape using motor control was invoked. During the first pass the symbol table was built and stored in RAM. During the second pass symbols would be translated and code written out to the second tape, also using start/stop motor control. Being able to avoid storing code in RAM made it possible to save much space. It was however, still important to keep the symbols list short since RAM size was often no more than 4 KB.

In 1981 Rockwell introduced an improved model with a 40 character display as the AIM-65/40. An industrial chassis version was known as the System 65 and included a PROM burner and floppy drives. Rockwell was also a pioneer in solid-state storage devices, introducing "bubble memory" non-volatile expansion boards about 1980.

MTU made a "Visible Memory" card in 1978 that worked with the KIM-1 and AIM-65 computers, providing raster graphics display capability. MTU also made the first real time music synthesizer for a microcomputer; it worked with the KIM-1 and AIM-65, and featured a DAC with software providing 4 voices of wavetable synthesis.

In Spain they were distributed by Comelta. This company made various card expansions:

• CR-106 8 Kbytes of RAM
• CR-119 RAM / ROM / PROM expansion
• CR-120 Universal programming
• CR-115 Microcassette controller(two units)
• CR-113 Video controller
• CR-401 Board Bus Extension(Standard S-64)

Comelta assembled all the options in a single box to produce a new computer, the Comelta Drac-1. The first prototype used microcassetes, but definitive versions have two 8" floppy disk drives.

In the late 1970s, the Rockwell AIM-65, and successor System 65 became the first computers used onboard a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade. Cal Poly Universities wrote their own animation control language to control hydraulic and motor actuators on floats for many years. In 2003, some of these 27 year old computers were still in use controlling various displays and creatures at a high tech Halloween show near Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.A.

Technical specifications[link]

• Built in full sized QWERTY keyboard
• 20 character alphanumeric LED display (16 segments)
• Integrated 20 character thermal printer
• RS-232 serial interface
• Expansion connector
• Application connector with 6522 VIA chip
• 4 KB RAM
• 5 sockets for 4 KB ROM/EPROM chips

Programming[link]

PL/65 was a programming language designed and implemented by Rockwell International for the AIM-65.^[1] It is based on a mix of ALGOL and PL/I, simplified where possible in order to adapt to the limited processing environment afforded by the 6502 (64k memory for instance).

References[link]

1. ^ "Manual for PL/65" (Text). Motorola 680x0 Resources. http://linux.cis.monroeccc.edu/~paulrsm/6502/PL65MAN.TXT. Retrieved June 23, 2006. 

External links[link]

• http://www.oldcomputers.net/AIM-65.html
• AIM-65 at Old Computer Museum
• http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/aim65/
• http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=58

Bill Evans
Bill Evans performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland) with his trio consisting of Marc Johnson, bass & Philly Joe Jones, drums, July 13, 1978. (Photo by Brian McMillen)
Background information
Birth name	William John Evans
Also known as	Bill Evans
Born	(1929-08-16)August 16, 1929 Plainfield, New Jersey, United States
Died	September 15, 1980(1980-09-15) (aged 51) Fort Lee, New Jersey, United States
Genres	Jazz, modal jazz, third stream, cool jazz, post-bop
Occupations	Pianist Composer Arranger
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1950s–1980[1]
Labels	Riverside, Verve, Fantasy
Associated acts	George Russell, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Philly Joe Jones, Scott LaFaro, Paul Motian, Eddie Gomez, Marty Morell, Tony Bennett, Jim Hall, Monica Zetterlund

William John Evans, known as Bill Evans (August 16, 1929–September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists. He is considered by some to be the most influential post-World War II jazz pianist.^[2] Evans had a distinct playing posture in which his neck would often be stooped very low, and his face parallel to the piano.

Evans is an inductee of the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.^[3]

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Bill Evans was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, United States, to a mother of Rusyn ancestry and a father of Welsh descent.^[4] He received his first musical training at his mother's church. Evans' mother was an amateur pianist with an interest in modern classical composers, and Evans began classical piano lessons at age six. He also became a proficient flautist by age 13 and could play the violin.

At age 12, Evans filled in for his older brother Harry in Buddy Valentino's band.^[5] At this age he was able to interpret classical music, but he couldn't improvise. In the beginning, he played exactly what was written in the sheet, but soon started trying to improvise, while learning about harmonies in the songs and how to alter them. Meanwhile, he was playing dance music (and jazz) at home, in a recording studio he built in his family's basement..^[6] In the late 1940s, Evans played boogie woogie in various New Jersey clubs. He attended Southeastern Louisiana University on a music scholarship, and in 1950 performed Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto on his senior recital there, graduating with a degree in piano performance and teaching. He was also among the founding members of SLU's Delta Omega Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and played quarterback for the fraternity's football team, helping them win the school's 1949 intramural tournament.^[6]

Evans's first professional job was with sax player Herbie Fields's band, based in Chicago. During the summer of 1950, the band did a three-month tour backing Billie Holiday, including East Coast appearances at Harlem's Apollo Theater and shows in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and at Washington D.C.'s Howard Theater. In addition to Fields and Evans, the band included trumpeter Jimmy Nottingham, trombonist Frank Rosolino and bassist Jim Aton. Upon its return to Chicago, Evans and Aton worked as a duo in Chicago clubs, often backing singer Lurlean Hunter. Shortly thereafter, Evans received his draft notice and entered the U.S. Army.

After his army service, Evans returned to New York and worked at nightclubs with jazz clarinetist Tony Scott and other leading players. Later, he took postgraduate studies in composition at the Mannes College of Music, where he also mentored younger music students.

1950s[link]

Working in New York in the 1950s, Evans gained recognition as a sideman in traditional and so-called Third Stream jazz groups. During this period he had the opportunity to record in many different contexts with some of the best jazz musicians of the time. Seminal recordings made with composer/theoretician George Russell, including "Concerto for Billy the Kid" and "All About Rosie," are notable for Evans's solo work. Evans also appeared on notable albums by Charles Mingus, Oliver Nelson, Tony Scott, and Art Farmer. In 1956, he made his debut album, New Jazz Conceptions, featuring the original version of "Waltz for Debby," for Riverside Records. Producer Orrin Keepnews was convinced to record the reluctant Evans by a demo tape guitarist Mundell Lowe played to him over the phone.

In 1958, Evans was hired by Miles Davis, becoming the only white member of Davis's famed sextet. Though his time with the band was brief (no more than eight months), it was one of the most fruitful collaborations in the history of jazz, as Evans's introspective approach to improvisation deeply influenced Davis's style. Davis wrote in his autobiography, "Bill had this quiet fire that I loved on piano. The way he approached it, the sound he got, was like crystal notes or sparkling water cascading down from some clear waterfall." Additionally, Davis said, "I've sure learned a lot from Bill Evans. He plays the piano the way it should be played."

Evans's desire to pursue his own projects as a leader (and increasing problems with drug use) led him to leave the Davis sextet in late 1958. Shortly after, he recorded Everybody Digs Bill Evans, documenting the wholly original meditative sound he was exploring at the time. But Evans came back to the sextet at Davis's request to record the jazz classic Kind of Blue in early 1959. Evans's contribution to the album was overlooked for years; in addition to cowriting the song "Blue in Green,"^[7] he had also already developed the ostinato figure from the track "Flamenco Sketches" on the 1958 solo recording "Peace Piece" from his album Everybody Digs Bill Evans. Evans also penned the heralded liner notes for Kind of Blue comparing jazz improvisation to Japanese visual art.^[8] By the fall of 1959, he had started his own trio.

1960s[link]

At the turn of the decade, Evans led a trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. This group was to become one of the most acclaimed piano trios — and jazz bands in general — of all time. With this group, Evans's focus settled on traditional jazz standards and original compositions, with an added emphasis on interplay among the band members that often bordered on collective improvisation, blurring the line between soloist and accompanist. The collaboration between Evans and the young LaFaro was particularly fruitful, as the two achieved a remarkable level of musical empathy. The trio recorded four albums: Portrait in Jazz (1959); and Explorations, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, and Waltz for Debby, all recorded in 1961. The last two albums are live recordings from the same recording date, and are routinely named among the greatest jazz recordings of all time. In 2005, the full sets were collected on the three-CD set The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961. There is also a lesser-known recording of this trio, Live at Birdland, taken from radio broadcasts in early 1960, though the sound quality is poor.

In addition to introducing a new freedom of interplay within the piano trio, Evans began (in performances such as "My Foolish Heart" from the Vanguard sessions) to explore extremely slow ballad tempos and quiet volume levels, which had been virtually unknown in jazz. His chordal voicings became more impressionistic, reminiscent of classical composers such as Debussy, Ravel, Scriabin, and Satie, and he moved away from the thick block chords he had often used with Davis. His sparse left-hand voicings supported his lyrical right-hand lines, reflecting the influence of jazz pianist Bud Powell.

Like Davis, Evans was a pioneer of modal jazz, favoring harmonies that helped avoid some of the idioms of bebop and other earlier jazz. In tunes like Time Remembered, the chord changes more or less absorbed the derivative styles of bebop and instead relied on unexpected shifts in color. It was still possible (and desirable) to make these changes swing, and a certain spontaneity appeared in expert solos that were played over the new sound. Most composers refer to the style of Time Remembered as "plateau modal," because of its frequent juxtaposition of harmony.

LaFaro's death at age 25 in a car accident, ten days after the Vanguard performances, devastated Evans. He did not record or perform in public again for several months. His first recording after LaFaro's death was the duet album Undercurrent, with guitarist Jim Hall, released on United Artist Jazz records in 1963. Recorded in two sessions on April 24 and May 14, 1962, it is now widely regarded as a classic jazz piano-guitar duet recording. The album is also notable for its striking cover image, "Weeki Wachee Spring, Florida" by photographer Toni Frissell. The original LP and the first CD reissue featured a cropped, blue-tinted version, overlaid with the title and the Blue Note logo; but for the most recent (24-bit remastered) CD reissue, the image has been restored to its original black-and-white coloration and size, without lettering.

When he re-formed his trio in 1962, Evans replaced LaFaro with bassist Chuck Israels, initially keeping Motian on the drums. Two albums, Moon Beams and How My Heart Sings!, resulted. In 1963, after having switched from Riverside to the much more widely distributed Verve, he recorded Conversations With Myself, an innovative album on which he employed overdubbing, layering up to three individual tracks of piano for each song. The album won him his first Grammy award, for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance — Soloist or Small Group.

Though his time with Verve was prolific in terms of recording, his artistic output was uneven. Despite Israels's fast development and the creativity of new drummer Grady Tate, they were ill-represented by the rather perfunctory album Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra, with the piece Pavane by Gabriel Fauré remarkably reinvented with improvisations by Evans. Some unique contexts were attempted, such as a big-band live album at Town Hall, recorded but never issued due to Evans's dissatisfaction with it (although the jazz trio portion of the Pavane concert was made into its own somewhat successful release), and an album with a symphony orchestra, not warmly received by critics.

During this time, Helen Keane, Evans's manager, began having an important influence. One of the first women in her field, she significantly helped to maintain the progress (or prevent the deterioration) of Evans's career in spite of his self-destructive lifestyle.

In 1966, Evans discovered the remarkable young Puerto Rican bass player Eddie Gomez. In what turned out to be an eleven-year stay, the sensitive and creative Gomez sparked new developments in both Evans's playing and his trio conception. One of the most significant releases during this period is Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival, from 1968. Although it was the only album Evans made with drummer Jack DeJohnette, it has remained a critical and fan favorite, due to the trio's remarkable energy and interplay.

Other highlights from this period include "Solo — In Memory of His Father" from Bill Evans at Town Hall (1966), which introduced the famous theme "Turn Out the Stars," a second successful pairing with guitarist Jim Hall; Intermodulation (1966); and the subdued, crystalline solo album Alone (1968), featuring a 14-minute-plus version of "Never Let Me Go." In 1969, Evans visited Ilkka Kuusisto's home in Helsinki and was interviewed about jazz before performing.

1970s[link]

In 1968, Marty Morell joined the trio on drums and remained until 1975, when he retired to family life. This was Evans's most stable, longest-lasting group. Evans had kicked his heroin habit and was entering a period of personal stability as well. The group made several albums, including From Left to Right (1970), which features Evans's first use of electric piano; The Bill Evans Album (1971), which won two Grammies; The Tokyo Concert (1973); Since We Met (1974); and But Beautiful (1974), featuring the trio plus legendary tenor saxophonist Stan Getz in live performances from Holland and Belgium, released posthumously in 1996. Morell was an energetic, straight-ahead drummer, unlike many of the trio's former percussionists, and many critics feel that this was a period of little growth for Evans. After Morell left, Evans and Gomez recorded two duo albums, Intuition and Montreux III.

In 1974, Bill Evans recorded a multimovement jazz concerto specifically written for him by Claus Ogerman entitled Symbiosis, originally released on the MPS Records label. The 1970s also saw Evans collaborate with the singer Tony Bennett on 1975's The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album and 1977's Together Again.

On September 13, 1975, Evans's son, Evan, was born. Evan Evans did not often see his always-touring father. A child prodigy, he embarked on a career in film scoring, ambitiously attending college courses in 20th-century composition, instrumentation, and electronic composition at the age of ten. He also studied with many of his father's contemporaries, including Lalo Schifrin and harmony specialist Bernard Maury.

In 1976, Marty Morell was replaced on drums by Eliot Zigmund. Several interesting collaborations followed, and it was not until 1977 that the trio was able to record an album together. Both I Will Say Goodbye (Evans's last album for Fantasy Records) and You Must Believe in Spring (for Warner Bros., released posthumously) highlighted changes that would become significant in the last stage of Evans's career. A greater emphasis was placed on group improvisation and interaction, Evans was reaching new expressive heights in his soloing, and new experiments with harmony and keys were attempted.

Gomez and Zigmund left Evans in 1978. Evans then asked Philly Joe Jones, the drummer he considered his "all-time favorite drummer" and with whom he had recorded his second album in 1957, to fill in. Several bassists were tried, with Michael Moore staying the longest. Evans finally settled on Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums. This trio was Evans's last.

Death[link]

Evans was a heroin addict for much of his career, his health was generally poor, and his financial situation worse, for much of the 1960s. By the end of that decade, he appeared to have succeeded in overcoming his addiction to heroin. However, in the late 1970s, cocaine use became a serious problem for Evans. On September 15, 1980, Bill Evans was accompanied by Joe LaBarbera and his partner Laurie Verchomin, to the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where he died that afternoon. ^[9] Evans's friend Gene Lees bleakly summarized Evans's struggle with drugs to Peter Pettinger as "the longest suicide in history.".^[6] Bill Evans is buried at Roselawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana (Section #161, Plot K), next to his brother Harry Evans, who died the previous year.

Legacy and influence[link]

Music critic Richard S. Ginell noted, “With the passage of time, Bill Evans has become an entire school unto himself for pianists and a singular mood unto himself for listeners. There is no more influential jazz-oriented pianist—only McCoy Tyner exerts nearly as much pull among younger players and journeymen—and Evans has left his mark on such noted players as: Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, John Taylor, Steve Kuhn, Don Friedman, Marian McPartland, Denny Zeitlin, Bobo Stenson, Warren Bernhardt, Michel Petrucciani and Keith Jarrett, as well as many other musicians worldwide. The music of Bill Evans continues to inspire younger pianists like Fred Hersch, Bill Charlap, Lyle Mays, Eliane Elias^[10] and arguably Brad Mehldau ^[11] early in his career.

Conversations with Myself and Further Conversations with Myself were innovative solo performances involving multiple overdubs of Evans.

Many of his tunes, such as "Waltz for Debby," "Turn Out the Stars," "Very Early," and "Funkallero," have become often-recorded jazz standards. Many tribute recordings featuring his compositions and favorite tunes have been released in the years following his passing as well as tribute compositions. Pat Metheny's "September 15th" is one such recording.

During his lifetime, Evans was honored with 31 Grammy nominations and seven Awards. In 1994, he was posthumously honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tribute albums[link]

The embedded lists in this article may contain items that are not encyclopedic. Please help out by removing such elements and incorporating appropriate items into the main body of the article. (October 2011)

• 1981: Elegy For Bill Evans by Richie Beirach
• 1986: Music of Bill Evans by the Kronos Quartet with Eddie Gomez and Jim Hall.
• 1990: Bill Evans by Paul Motian
• 1991: Bill Evans: A Tribute by Jimmy Rowles, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, John Lewis, and Dave McKenna (Palo Alto Records)
• 1992: Then Along Came Bill: A Tribute to Bill Evans by Sylvia Syms
• 1993: Time Remembered: John Mclaughlin Plays Bill Evans by John Mclaughlin
• 1994: Now & Then: A Tribute to Bill Evans by Mitchel Forman
• 1994: Your Story: The Music of Bill Evans by Howard Alden
• 1996: Turn Out The Stars - The Songs Of Bill Evans by Dominic Alldis
• 1997: Conversations with Bill Evans by Jean-Yves Thibaudet
• 1998: Evanessence: Tribute to Bill Evans by Fred Hersch
• 1998: I Remember Bill: A Tribute to Bill Evans by Don Sebesky and Larry Coryell
• 2000: Conviction: Thoughts Of Bill Evans by Roseanna Vitro
• 2002: Homage To Bill Evans And Jim Hall by Luigi Tessarollo with Stefano Bollani
• 2002: Play Bill Evans by the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra & Jim McNeely
• 2003: Bill Evans: Tribute to the Great Post-Bop Pianist by Paul Motian
• 2006: Paz - Niño Josele and the music of Bill Evans by Niño Josele
• 2008: Something for you - Eliane Elias Sings and Plays Bill Evans by Eliane Elias
• 2009: Bill Evans Compositions Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 by Stefano Battaglia

Discography[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Shadwick, Keith (2002) [2002]. Bill Evans Everything Happens To Me - a musical biography (Paperback ed.). Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-708-0. 
• Verchomin, Laurie (2011) [2010]. The Big Love ~ Life & Death with Bill Evans (Paperback ed.). Amazon. ISBN 978-1-4565-6309-7. 

• Bill Evans - How My Heart Sings (Paperback ed.). 

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Bill Evans

• Bill Evans at Find A Grave
• Bill Evans entry — Jazz Discography Project
• The Bill Evans Webpages
• Bill Evans: Time Remembered
• "Remembering Bill Evans" by Ted Gioia, Jazz.com, January, 2008.
• Letter From Evans edited by Win Hinkle — newsletter dedicated solely to the music and the life of Bill Evans, published 1989–94. Link is to all issues.
• "Bill Evans: Twelve Essential Recordings by Ted Gioia"
• The Bill Evans Memorial Library
• Jazz wax-Interview with Laurie Verchomin

Bullet for My Valentine
Bullet for My Valentine performing at the 2010 Norway Rock Festival.
Background information
Origin	Bridgend, Wales, United Kingdom
Genres	Heavy metal, metalcore, thrash metal
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Columbia, Trustkill, Gun, Sony Music, Jive, RCA
Website	bulletformyvalentine.com
Members
Matthew Tuck Michael Paget Michael Thomas Jason James
Past members
Nick Crandle

Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matthew Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic heavy metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Slayer. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.

Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison, was released on 3 October 2005 in the United Kingdom and on 14 February 2006 in the United States to coincide with Valentine's Day hence their band name. The album entered the Billboard 200 in the US at number 128. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The band made appearances at the Download Festival and Kerrang! XXV, and undertook a US tour with Rob Zombie. Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim Fire, was released on 29 January 2008 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The band's third album, Fever, was released on 26 April 2010 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The band has sold over one million albums in the United States and nearly 2,500,000 albums worldwide and are the most-successful act in the Kerrang! Awards category of "Best British Band" with three wins.

History[link]

Jeff Killed John and record deal (1998—2005)[link]

	"Tears Don't Fall" noicon According to Scott Alisoglu of Blabbermouth.net, "Tears Don't Fall"'s "twin lead work, thrashy romps, galloping tempos, and a hot solo launch the track out of mediocrity."[1]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Jeff Killed John was the forerunner band to Bullet for My Valentine and was formed in 1998 by Matthew Tuck, Michael "Padge" Paget, Nick Crandle, and Michael "Moose" Thomas while studying music at Bridgend College. Playing Nirvana and Metallica cover songs, the band released a two-track EP in 2002, You/Play with Me, which was produced by Greg Haver. The EP was financed through the Pynci scheme for new Welsh musicians and the release garnered radio airplay on BBC Radio 1's broadcast at Newport's T.J.'s.^[2] Jeff Killed John's music followed the nu metal trend set by bands such as Korn and Limp Bizkit.^[2] Bassist Crandle left the band on the eve of entering the recording sessions for You/Play with Me and was replaced by Jason James.^[2] The band then changed their name to Bullet for My Valentine and reworked their musical strategy; they decided to play thrash metal songs with "harmony guitars and big angelic choruses" according to frontman Tuck.^[3]

Roadrunner Records showed interest in Bullet for My Valentine and offered the band a deal. The offer was ultimately turned down, and the band signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG and a UK licensing deal with Visible Noise. According to Tuck, they chose Sony because, "We thought that a lot more doors would be open to us."^[3] A self-titled EP was released on 15 November 2004 in the UK. Produced by Colin Richardson, it featured five tracks and marked the band's first official release.^[2] A second EP, Hand of Blood, was released on 22 August 2005 through Trustkill Records and was only available in the US; the release contained one extra track than the self-titled EP, "4 Words (To Choke Upon)." Daniel Lukes of Decibel Magazine reviewed the EP by stating, "The worst part is that the music itself isn’t all that bad, for the genre." He went on to comment that the band should be "embarrassed" about the release.^[4] Zeromag's Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids."^[5]

[edit] The Poison (2005—2007)

Bullet for My Valentine at 2007's Earthday Birthday (depicted from left to right: Paget, James, and Tuck).

Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison, was released on 3 October 2005 in the UK and on Valentine's Day, 2006 in the US. It entered the Billboard 200 at number 128,^[6] and attained number 11 on the Independent Albums chart.^[7] On 30 January 2009, the album was certified gold by the RIAA after 500,000 copies were sold in the US.^[8] Four singles were released from The Poison: "4 Words (To Choke Upon)", "Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)", "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)", and "Tears Don't Fall".^[9] Bullet for My Valentine promoted the album by touring across the world. In 2005, with increased popularity, they played on the larger Download Festival Snickers stage;^[10] in 2006, the band were moved to near the top of the main stage bill.^[11] Other tours included opening for Metallica and Guns N' Roses in the summer of 2006,^[12] the Vans Warped Tour and Earthday Birthday. The band's headline performance at Kerrang XXV, a one-off gig at Brixton Academy in London on 28 January 2006, was filmed for their first DVD, The Poison: Live at Brixton.^[13][14] During June 2007, Tuck suffered from laryngitis, which let to an emergency tonsillectomy in July.^[15] Bullet for My Valentine were forced to cancel several shows, including supporting Metallica for three dates on their Sick of the Studio '07 tour on 29 June in Bilbao, 5 July in Vienna, and 8 July at the recently completed Wembley Stadium in London.^[16] Unable to speak, Tuck wrote that as soon as doctors cleared him he would be in the studio working on the band's next album.^[17]

[edit] Scream Aim Fire (2007—2008)

Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim Fire, was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios and was produced by Colin Richardson.^[18] Tuck commented at the time, "It's a lot more up tempo, a lot more aggressive".^[19] The album was released in the US on 29 January 2008.^[20] It sold 53,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200.^[21] Three songs were released as singles: "Scream Aim Fire", "Hearts Burst into Fire", and "Waking the Demon".

In support of the new album, the band toured North America and Australia in the spring of 2008 for the Taste of Chaos tour alongside Atreyu, Blessthefall, and Avenged Sevenfold. Bullet for My Valentine cut short the Canada portion of the tour and flew back home to support the daughter of James who was in hospital.^[22] The band performed in North America again in the summer of 2008 as part of the No Fear Tour with Bleeding Through, Cancer Bats, and Black Tide.^[23] In late 2008, the band toured Europe, supported by Lacuna Coil, Bleeding Through, and Black Tide.^[24] In December 2008, Scream Aim Fire was re-released with four bonus tracks that were recorded during the album's studio sessions, but with re-recorded vocal-lines.^[25]

[edit] Fever (2009—2011)

Michael Paget (left) and Matthew Tuck (right) at 2006's Roskilde Festival held in Denmark.

Matt Tuck spoke to Daniel Marez of Metal Hammer in March 2009 about the band's progress on writing and recording their third album. Tuck stated that there were four or five songs that were finished and that "usually we write and record 14 tracks that I then have to write vocal lines for, but this time I’m trying to write the vocals as I write the music".^[25] Bullet for My Valentine confirmed in August 2009 that they were aiming for an early 2010 release for the new album, while Tuck stated that the upcoming record is "a lot more mature-sounding, it's a lot more classic. It'll stand the test of time [more] than both the previous things we've done".^[26] In a January 2010 interview with Rock Sound, Tuck stated explained details for the album; it would be titled Fever and that the 11-track record would have a sound closer to The Poison rather than Scream Aim Fire and would be absent of ballads.^[27]

During the summer of 2009, Bullet for My Valentine toured across the United States as part of the Mayhem Festival,^[28] alongside Killswitch Engage, Slayer, and Marilyn Manson on the main stage;^[29] they also appeared on the UK leg of the Sonisphere tour at Knebworth, headlining the second stage.^[30] The band will be headlining the second stage at the Download Festival 2010 on the Friday night.^[31] The band has also been confirmed for Nova Rock,^[32] Metaltown,^[33] Rock am Ring,^[34] Rock on the Range,^[35] The Bamboozle,^[36] Bilbao Live Festival,^[37] Fortarock^[38] and Graspop.^[39] In addition, they will be playing alongside the Big Four on the Greek leg of Sonisphere.^[40] Fever was released on 27 April 2010.^[41] A free download of a new track called "Begging For Mercy" was released on the band's website on 14 February 2010 as part of a Twitter promotion.^[42] The song "Your Betrayal" was chosen as the lead single for the album and was set to release on 9 March 2010, but, unexpectedly, was released earlier on 2 March 2010 as a digital single on iTunes Store. The second single is called "The Last Fight" and was released on 19 April. The album artwork for this studio album was released on the official website on 5 March 2010.^[41] Bullet for My Valentine announced the start their US tour in support of Fever. It began on 30 April with the bands Airbourne and Chiodos as support.^[43] On 12 March the band released the music videos for "The Last Fight" and "Your Betrayal".^[44] The band revealed the track listing on their website on 15 March, as well as other various sources that include an email to all of their subscribers on the mailing list.^[45] On 26 April the band played a secret show in London to celebrate the release of Fever. This was their only UK headline show until the end of the year.^[46]

Fourth studio album (2011—present)[link]

On 28 January 2011, Michael Paget stated that the group had already drawn proportions for the next studio album and will sound a lot like Fever. He followed-along with stating that the band plans to have the songs for it written within 2011 and will begin recording the album by the end of the year. A couple tracks left from the Fever sessions might be redone, re-arranged and re-recorded for the new record.^[47] The band played at Uproar Festival 2011, after which they began writing material for a fourth studio album. The band hopes to release the album sometime in 2012.^[48]

On 7 October, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, the band (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release their future material (including their next studio album) on the RCA Records brand.^[49][50] Also in October, frontman Matt Tuck announced that he will be working on a new side project which he has described as "metal as fuck", influenced by bands such as Pantera and Slipknot.^[51] On May 1, 2012, it was revealed that the project will be called AxeWound and will feature Liam Cormier, Mike Kingswood, Joe Copcutt and Jason Bowld.

In May 2012, it was announced that Bullet For My Valentine would be playing at the South African music festival Oppikoppi. They were slated to play in the country for the Coke Zero Fest of 2009, but pulled out at the last minute to record Fever.^[52]

Musical style and influences[link]

Bullet for My Valentine are primarily deemed as a contemporary metal band. With detailed statements, their music has been described by critics as heavy metal,^[53][54] metalcore^[41][55] and thrash metal.^[56][57] The band has cited being influenced by bands such as Metallica, Annihilator, Pantera, Machine Head, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses,^[58] Testament, Stuck Mojo, Slayer, Judas Priest, and Megadeth.^[59] These bands inspire Bullet for My Valentine's "catchy vocals, aggressive riffs, and melodies," according to Thomas.^[60] The band describe two of their albums, The Poison and Fever, as having a "super dark" tone,^[61] Tuck went on to state that "…we're a hard rock band with metal influences, and I’ve said that from Day One.”^[27] Kirk Miller of Decibel Magazine praised the band for the effort in synchronised song structures.^[62] When asked of their views on their looks, members of the band have stated that they would not change their sound or image for a commercial approach; Tuck also commented that, "Without sounding harsh, we're more interested in what our music sounds like than what our fucking hair looks like."^[63]

Band members[link]

Current members

• Michael Paget – lead guitar, backing vocals (1998–present)
• Michael Thomas – drums (1998–present)
• Matthew Tuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1998–present)
• Jason James – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)

Former members

• Nick Crandle – bass guitar (1998–2003)

Timeline[link]

id:bass value:brightgreen legend:Bass guitar
id:bass;vocals value:purple legend:Bass, backing vocals
id:drums value:yellow legend:Drums
id:rhythm;vocals value:red legend:Rhythm guitar, lead vocals
id:guitar;vocals value:brightblue legend:Lead guitar, backing vocals
id:lines value:black legend:Studio albums

at:10/03/2005 color:black layer:back
at:01/29/2008 color:black layer:back
at:04/26/2010 color:black layer:back

bar:Hetfield text:"'Matthew Tuck"
bar:Lars text:"Michael Paget"
bar:Mustaine text:"Jason James"
bar:Kirk text:"Michael Thomas"
bar:Ron text:"Nick Crandle"

width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Hetfield from:01/01/1998 till:end color:rhythm;vocals
bar:Lars from:01/01/1998 till:end color:guitar;vocals
bar:Ron from:01/01/1998 till:01/01/2003 color:bass
bar:Mustaine from:01/01/2003 till:end color:bass;vocals
bar:Kirk from:01/01/1998 till:end color:drums

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• The Poison (2005)
• Scream Aim Fire (2008)
• Fever (2010)

Awards and achievements[link]

• Welsh Music Award
  • Best Newcomer (2004)^[64]
• Metal Hammer Golden God Award
  • Best British Band (2006, 2010)^[65][66]
• Kerrang! Awards
  • Best Single for "Tears Don't Fall" (2006)^[67]
  • Best British Newcomer (2005)^[68]
  • Best British Band (2008, 2009, 2010)^[69][70]
  • Headlined Kerrang!'s 25 year anniversary tour of the UK^[71]
  • Best Live Band (2010)^[72]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

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