Bullet For My Valentine with support from Jinjer and Atreyu
at O2 Academy in Leeds, UK
words and photos by Dylan Maggs

Bullet For My Valentine is a band that needs no introduction.. They have been making music since 1998 when they first came onto the scene under the name ‘Jeff Killed John’ until their rebranding in the early 2000’s, and have been releasing stellar tracks that have cemented their place in UK alternative culture. The Welsh band are currently on their UK tour with support from Jinjer and Atreyu, and it’s not something you’d want to miss out on. I was fortunate enough to catch them at the O2 Academy in Leeds.

Opening the night was the American metalcore band Atreyu. A band that I had heard plenty of times due to my friends being big friends, but this was my first proper introduction. Straight out the gate, Dan Jacobs (lead guitar), Travis Miguel (rhythm guitar), Marc McKnight (bass), Kyle Rosa (drums) and Brandon Saller (vocals) provide a powerful introduction to their sound as they open up with ‘Strange Powers of Prophecy’ and ‘Becoming the Bull’. The energy and crowd interaction from the guitarists is enough to make you want to move around by itself, but partnered with Saller’s powerful vocals makes for some very sweaty mosh pits. My personal favorite of the set came in the form of ‘Battle Drums’, a song which turned many heads and got people all the way in the back headbanging along to as the bass carried through the venue. It might have been a long overdue introduction.. But they will definitely be in regular playlist rotation from now on.

Next up was Jinjer. Now, I’d heard of Jinjer before but had never listened to any of their music so I was interested to see why they were so loved among the metal community.. And wow, was I in for a treat. The 4-piece Ukrainian progressive metal band consisting of members Vladislav Ulasevish (drums), Eugene Abdukhanov (bass), Roman Ibramkhalilov (guitars) and Tatiana Shmailyuk (vocals) walked onto the stage whilst being met with passionate and excited screams. You could tell that this Leeds crowd was excited. Tatiana stood out as she sported facepaint and a bodysuit which glowed in the dark and it looked absolutely phenomenal (especially in photo’s might I add). Everything about this band was exceptional. The stage presence, powerful riffs and incredible vocals all blended together to create a stellar performance. There’s something incredibly awe-inspiring about a vocalist switching from clean vocals to deep screams out of nowhere. Jinjer are a band I would recommend to absolutely everyone. They are absolutely incredible.

You could tell the excitement had reached its peak.. As the second and final break began, fans from all sides of the venue tried their best to reach the center of the crowd for the pits that were sure to ensue. The packed out main floor of the Leeds O2 Academy became harder to navigate as fans filled every spot - even making it a challenge to get to the photo-pit.

As the main room lights turned off engulfing the venue in darkness, all that could be heard was the loud cries of fans screaming for their beloved band. It was time for Bullet For My Valentine. Jamie Mathias (bass), Jason Bowld (drums), Michael Paget (guitar) and Matt Tuck (vocals/guitar) burst onto the stage to deafening excited screams. Opening with the powerful track ‘Knives’, I couldn’t think of a better song to kick off with as it got the entire crowd off their feet.

Making their way through their explosive 17 track setlist they made sure to include something for everyone. Whether that was from their 2005 album The Poison, 2018’s Gravity, 2021’s Self-Titled or select singles.. There was no way anyone could have complained with this well thought-out setlist.

As expected, the crowd showed the most love to older tracks such as ‘All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)’ and ‘Your Last Fight’,’ which is a common occurrence for bands who have been around for such a long time. Which isn’t a bad thing, if anything, it showcases the mark you’ve left on the scene over your tenure and shows that fans stick by you as you progress through your musical career.

Leading up to the encore, the show was already amazing. The fans were having fun, the band where reviling in the excitement and we all knew there were three songs left that were highly anticipated. The encore started with ‘Your Betrayal’ from 2010’s Fever, which perfectly got the crowd pumped up for Bullet For My Valentine’s most popular song, ‘Tears Don’t Fall’. I was standing near the back at the venue and at points I couldn’t hear the band over the crowd shouting back the lyrics - and I of course had to sing along.

Bullet For My Valentine, Jinjer and Atreyu all put on an incredible show. I got to see an iconic band for the first time as well as new bands that will be on repeat for the following months.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE: LEEDS, UK

ATREYU

JINJER

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE