Hand of Blood
| Hand of Blood - EP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP by Bullet for My Valentine | ||||
| Released | 22 August 2005 | |||
| Recorded | The Chapel, Backstage Studios, Notting Pill Studios | |||
| Genre | Metalcore | |||
| Length | 21:59 | |||
| Label | Trustkill | |||
| Producer | Colin Richardson | |||
| Bullet for My Valentine chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Hand of Blood | ||||
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Hand of Blood is the second EP by Welsh band Bullet for My Valentine. The EP is almost the same as the previous. It was released on 22 August 2005 through Trustkill Records, with completely different artwork and slightly altered track listing ("4 Words (To Choke Upon)" was track 6 on the Japan version of the self-titled EP). For unknown reasons, this EP is not available in the U.S. version of iTunes, but its hardcopy format was sold in US stores such as Best Buy and F.Y.E. Hand of Blood included the single "4 Words (To Choke Upon)", accompanied by a music video, along with "Hand of Blood". The songs "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" and "Cries in Vain" were later included on the band's full-length debut, The Poison. The title track also appears on some copies of the same album, replacing "Spit You Out".
Appearances in other media
The song, "Hand of Blood" is featured in the video game, Burnout Revenge in the in-game soundtrack, it is as well featured in Need for Speed: Most Wanted. "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" is featured in the soundtrack for NHL 06 and Madden NFL 06, all by EA Games.
Critical reception
Daniel Lukes of Decibel Magazine believed that, although the music itself wasn't bad for what it was, it was, in his opinion, not original enough. He compared the EP to Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu, stating that he thought they wanted to steal their fanbases. He went on to sum up his entire review 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.[1] Zeromag's Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids".[2]
"Damrod" of Sputnikmusic gave the EP a solid 4/5 stars, stating that "the songs are played well and show a lot of potential for the future". He continues to say that the guitar work shows obvious influences such as Iron Maiden and Metallica, without sounding "like a rip-off of these bands". Damrod wrote that the singing style was a successful blend of screams and clean vocals, citing "Hand of Blood" and the chorus of "Just Another Star" as great examples.[3]
AllMusic wrote that the EP was "essentially a deluxe version" of the band's first EP Bullet for My Valentine.[4]
Track listing
All tracks written by Bullet for My Valentine.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Hand of Blood" | 3:36 |
| 3. | "Cries In Vain" | 3:59 |
| 4. | "Curses" | 3:59 |
| 5. | "No Control" | 3:34 |
| 6. | "Just Another Star" | 2:54 |
| Total length: | 21:59 | |
| Japanese bonus track | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 7. | "Turn to Despair" | 3:24 |
| Enhanced materials | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" (Music Video) | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Hand of Blood" (Music Video) | 3:36 |
Personnel
- Bullet for My Valentine
- Matthew Tuck - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, guitar solo on track 1, 2 and 6
- Michael "Padge" Paget - lead guitar, backing vocals
- Jason "Jay" James - bass guitar, backing vocals
- Michael "Moose" Thomas - drums
- Production
- Produced by Colin Richardson
- Engineered by Dan Turner