Michael Paget Says BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's New Album Will Feature 'Crazy Tuning'
The guitarist promises sonic experimentation and a return to crushing heaviness.
Summary
- BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE is working on new music, Paget says they’re using crazy tuning like drop G for the first time ever.
- The band cut their tour with Trivium short to focus fully on writing and recording their eighth studio album.
- Recording is set to begin in August 2025, with plans to release the album by summer 2026.
Guitarist Michael “Padge” Paget says BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE is exploring new territory on their next studio album, including tunings the band has never used before.
The longtime member of the Welsh metalcore group opened up about the upcoming record during a chat at this year’s Download Festival in the UK (watch the interview below).
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According to Paget, the music they’re working on is shaping up to be some of their heaviest yet, thanks in part to some seriously low guitar tuning (via TotalRock).
“We mess around with some crazy tuning on this one, something we haven’t done before,” Paget said. “It’s gonna be really interesting and fresh for the fans, and us.”
He also revealed that one of the new tracks is in drop G tuning, a sound that takes things even deeper than their usual guitar work.
Familiar Sound, New Twist
While the band is experimenting with new tunings, Paget made it clear that BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE isn’t abandoning its core identity.
“All of the usual BULLET trademarks are there. It’s in our DNA,” he explained. “Hooks, vocal melodies, huge choruses, big guitars, all the standard stuff’s gonna be there.”
Paget and his bandmates are aiming to balance what fans know and expect with some bold changes to their formula. That means keeping the energy high while updating the band’s sonic palette.
A Shift in Priorities
The band recently ended their co-headlining “The Poisoned Ascendancy” tour with Trivium earlier than planned.
Paget said the decision came down to time. Between tour dates and the pressure to write, record, and finish an album in time for a 2026 release, they had to choose one or the other.
“To finish writing now and record by the end of the year… we just don’t have time,” Paget said. “So we chose the album.”
So?
Recording sessions are expected to begin in August, with the band hoping to wrap things up before the end of 2025. If all goes to plan, the new album should arrive sometime next summer.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE has not yet revealed a title or release date, but according to both Paget and frontman Matt Tuck, they’re aiming to make this their biggest and heaviest release yet.
“We wanna make this one a banger,” Paget added. “We really wanna throw some thought behind it and make it as big as we possibly can.”
Fans can expect more updates in the coming months as the band heads into the studio.
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