Loudside.com managed to catch up with Bullet For My Valentine drummer Michael Thomas aka 'Moose' at the Fillmore in San Francisco for the final show of their recent U.S Headlining tour. Here's what Moose had to say about the tour, the band's upcoming album, and more....

Loudside.com: So how has the tour been overall?

Moose: The tour has been amazing! This tour has really opened my eyes as to how successful this album has been over....the last 18 months really. So yeah, it's been really amazing.

Loudside.com: Now was the line up for this tour handpicked by you guys, or was it more of a Corporate/management thing?

Moose: Um no, this tour was picked by management. But I think they did a really good job.....Great bands we're touring with, this time around.

Loudside.com: Now in regards to the new album, what made you guys decide to record in Texas, as opposed to recording at home or somewhere else?

Moose: It's Cheaper! (laughs). Besides, it's a great studio for the price, and our producer Colin (Richardson) likes working there. So basically because it was cheap and he liked it, so we said ok.

Loudside.com: So was it based on recommendation from Colin?

Moose: Yeah, definitely because of Colin. He said we should go there, and we were like "ok".

Loudside.com: Now, were you, or rather are you filming any footage in the studio for the new album?

Moose: Yeah, it's gonna be like.....just filmed by us as a band. It's pretty much.....it's not us recording, it's just us being stupid, ya know. Racing around on quads and stuff and just being dumb. (laughing)

Loudside.com: (laughing) Ok, and is that going to be included on a bonus dvd or something?

Moose: I think it is yeah. It's gonna be like a dvd with the album.

Loudside.com: Ok, now as far as the new songs go, I know you guys have only played two live so far at an overseas gig, those being 'Scream, Aim, and Fire' and 'Disappear'. Have you also been playing those on this tour?

Moose: We play 'Scream, Aim, and Fire' every night. So yeah, we don't play 'Disappear'....I don't know why actually. We play 'Creeping Death' by Metallica as well.

Loudside.com: Is there any chance of 'Disappear' being added to the set list?

Moose: No, not on this tour. I mean this is the last show of this tour, so.....I'd LIKE to play it, I think we all would. It's just the fact that it just didn't make it into the set, ya know.

Loudside.com: On the subject of the new material, I know you guys were going for more of a classic thrash sound. Would you say you're more leaning more toward what Trivium did in sounding more retro, or more along the lines of what Machine Head did, like classic thrash style with a more modern edge to it?

Moose: Umm, we really don't try and do what anyone else is doing or has done. We just wrote these songs as fans of metal music really, you know what I mean. So it still sounds like Bullet For My Valentine....we're not trying to rip anyone off.

Loudside.com: No, that's not what I was getting at. I was just wondering if you were going for a more classic sound, like a vintage 80's thrash sound, or a more beefed up modern thrash sound.

Moose: I just think it's just like the last record. A progression from that. I feel like the songs and the musicianship have come a long way from the last record. So it's just like the last one but better. (laughing)

Loudside.com: Ok, so what exactly is the status here in the States with record labels. Are you still on Trustkill, or are you now on BMG?

Moose: We've always been signed to Sony/BMG. But Sony put us through Trustkill for the first two records, to develop a core following,  and to kind of let things build. But I think our next record will still be on Trustkill, but Jive will be helping with the promotion. Because it's like, Jive has the money, but Trustkill has the knowledge to get it out to the kids, ya know.  

Loudside.com:  So it's just a collaboration between the labels then?

Moose: Yeah.

Loudside.com: Ok, now you guys have tours lined up all throughout the summer, but you're not on any of the U.S. Festivals at all. Were there any offers at all?

Moose: Umm, well we were supposed to do the 'Weenie Roast'...but we didn't wanna do that. And we were supposed to......well, we're not doing any festivals really because we're gonna go home and finish the record. And we're actually playing three shows with Metallica. in the summer over in Europe. Those are the only little things we're......."little" (laughing)......those are the only things we're gonna be doing this summer.

Loudside.com: Cool. I was just wondering if there were any offers for Ozzfest or maybe even Sounds of the Underground at all.

Moose: Umm, I don't know. I'd say no.

Loudside.com: Ok. Now I know you guys were confirmed for Wacken, and then you pulled out. What was the reason for that?

Moose: Well Matt our singer has problems with his throat, so he's going to have his tonsils taken out.

Loudside.com: Oh ok, so it's not really anything serious then?

Moose: No, it's just they're cuttin em out. I didn't wanna play that festival. It's just all like Death metal and they just stuck us in there, and I was like, 'Oh my god, why are they doing that?" (laughing)

Loudside.com: So other than that, his voice is fine then, right?

Moose: Yeah his voice is fine. It's just in case. Cause we had to cancel a couple of shows, and we don't wanna do that again, so the best thing to do is just cut out his throat. (laughing)

Loudside.com: Because of the laryngitis, correct?

Moose: Yeah.

Loudside.com: Ok, now getting back to the new album, tell me a little bit about the lyrical content. I know alot of bands are doing the political thing right now, and of course, that's mostly U.S. bands, but do you guys have anything in that vein?

Moose: No. We're not a political band at all. I mean I look at all politicians as being the same....you elect one that's just as bad as the last one, so we keep out of that. This  album's more like a.....'Scream, Aim, and Fire' is about going to war, and watching all your friends being killed. It's pretty nice. 'Disappear' is all about getting back at the school bully......those are the only songs with vocals right now actually.

Loudside.com: So there's not even any lyrics written at this point?

Moose: Not really. Matt's gotta go back home to finish that up......in June.

Loudside.com: So basically it's probably gonna be on a more personal level lyrically?

Moose: Umm, well there's definitely no songs about......girls on this one. (laughing)

Loudside.com: Ok, now you guys have toured in the past with Iron Maiden, and you've done alot of the bigger festivals, and of course, you have those dates coming up with Metallica....did you guys ever see yourselves getting to this point at all?

Moose: We hoped for it, and we kinda like....wanted it. But we never thought that we'd actually get it, ya know. But I was thinking about it last night in bed, and in the last like two years we've accomplished SO MUCH. Like, things that bands that have been around for ten years would kill for, ya know. I guess we're really lucky. And we're not stopping yet.

Loudside.com: Now, the show at Wembley with Metallica, that's gonna be like the first show at that venue following the big remodel, right?

Moose: One of the first yeah....I'm still shittin myself. (laughing) It's fucking nuts!

Loudside.com: (laughing) Now being that you've played with some of metal's biggest bands, is there still any band in particular that you still haven't toured with, but want to?

Moose: I'd personally like to tour with Judas Priest. But I don't think we'll be doing anything after this Metallica gig. I mean, we'd like to, but I think we're gonna say no, because we can book a tour on our own now. But yeah, it would be nice to tour with Judas Priest.

Loudside.com: And what are the plans for Bullet after you finish up the album, as far as touring goes for maybe later this year, and into next year?

Moose: Umm, we'll go to Japan and Australia in August and September. Then I think we do Europe and Britain after that, and come back over here in November. And I think it's January that we head back to Japan and Australia. Touring cycle is about 18 months, until this album comes out in October.

Loudside.com: Now when you guys come back later this year, are there any bands confirmed for that yet?

Moose: No not yet. We really wanna take out our friends in 36 Crazyfists, but our management is like 'No' and we're like 'Yeah', and they're like 'No'. So next time, we're taking them out, hopefully.

Loudside.com: And how much of a say does the band have in that?

Moose: Back in Europe, we choose the bands we tour with all the time. But out here we don't, for some strange reason. It's like I'm always saying 'can we have these bands', and they're like 'No, they're not big enough'. Then they put these other bands on and I'm like 'Who the fuck are they', ya know? (laughing). But I think next time we'll have more of a say in who's gonna open for us and stuff...........we'll see.