Matthew Tuck (born 20 January 1980) is a Welsh musician, best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the metal band Bullet for My Valentine. He is also a singer and guitarist in the

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

AxeWound AxeWound is a British-Canadian heavy metal supergroup formed in 2012 comprising Liam Cormier of Cancer Bats on lead vocals, Matthew Tuck of Bullet for My Valentine on guitar and backing vocals, Mike Kingswood of Glamour of the Kill on guitar, ...

, which was formed in 2012.

Career

Bullet for My Valentine formed in 1998 under the name Jeff Killed John and were originally a

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...

band. After bassist Nick Crandle left in 2003, they picked up Jason James as their new bassist and renamed the band Bullet for My Valentine. They have released six studio albums and four EPs. The band has sold over one million albums in the United States and over three million worldwide and are the most-successful act in the ''

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...

'' Awards category of "Best British Band", with three wins. Tuck is also the backing vocalist and rhythm guitarist in the

. He plays alongside Liam Cormier of

Cancer Bats Cancer Bats is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario. To date, they have released seven studio albums and six extended plays; with their most recent LP, ''Psychic Jailbreak'', having been released on 15 April 2022. The band is cur ...

, Mike Kingswood of

Glamour of the Kill Glamour of the Kill (sometimes abbreviated as GOTK) were an English post-hardcore band from York. They had a Kerrang! video of the week with the track "Feeling Alive". History "Glamour of the Kill" were formed in January 2007. They take thei ...

Joe Copcutt Joe Copcutt (born 2 August 1988 from London, England) is an English metal bassist. He is a founding member of Zoax and bassist of AxeWound. Early life and career Copcutt was born in Islington, London, England. Copcutt's musical career began ...

of ZOAX and formerly of

Rise to Remain Rise to Remain was an English, London-based heavy metal band formed in 2006 and disbanded in 2015. The band made appearances at Download Festival, Sonisphere Festival and extensively toured the UK and Europe. The band released three EPs, the ...

, and

Jason Bowld Jason Bowld is a British drummer currently playing with the metal band Bullet for My Valentine, and formerly of Pitchshifter, This Is Menace and AxeWound. Bowld's first show with Bullet for My Valentine was at Wembley Arena in 2010, their origi ...

Pitchshifter Pitchshifter are an English industrial rock band from Nottingham, formed in 1989. The band was started by lead guitarist and programmer Johnny A. Carter, and bassist and vocalist Mark Clayden. The band’s early material was characterized for ...

. In November 2006, while on tour with

As I Lay Dying ''As I Lay Dying'' is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of 20th-century literature.The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to Wor ...

and Protest the Hero, Tuck suffered from

laryngitis Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under two weeks. Laryngitis is categorised ...

, which led to a series of concert cancellations, until early January 2007 when he was able to sing after his recovery period. On 22 June 2007 it was announced that he needed a

tonsillectomy Tonsillectomy is a list of surgical procedures, surgical procedure in which both palatine tonsils are fully removed from the back of the throat. The procedure is mainly performed for recurrent tonsillitis, throat infections and obstructive sleep ...

. The band was forced to cancel all of their shows, including their tour as a support band for

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

. 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.

Influences

Tuck's earliest influences as a child would involve the music his parents listened to. In particular, his father's favourite band was

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. W ...

who he would hear the

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...

of a lot as a little kid, as well as

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

's records. Tuck's main influences would go on to consist of

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

Pantera Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

Motley Crue Motley is the traditional costume of the court jester, the motley fool, or the arlecchino character in ''commedia dell'arte''. The harlequin wears a patchwork of red, green and blue diamonds that is still a fashion motif. The word ''motley'' ...

Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), a ...

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...

and

Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They h ...

. However, his biggest influence growing up was

, with their eponymous '' Black Album'' being the first record he ever bought after he heard the song "

Enter Sandman "Enter Sandman" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the opening track and lead single from their self-titled fifth album, released in 1991. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Vocalist a ...

" for the first time. They would also be the main reason as to why he would start to play the guitar, learning the riffs by ear; eventually paving the way for his musical career.

Equipment

A detailed gear diagram of Tuck's 2006 Bullet for My Valentine guitar rig is well-documented. During the period from Bullet for My Valentine's debut album ''

The Poison ''The Poison'' is the debut studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on 3 October 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on 14 February 2006 in the United States, through Trustkill R ...

'' in 2005 to the making of '' Temper Temper'' seven years later, Tuck was using

Jackson Randy Rhoads The Jackson Rhoads is a model of electric guitar, originally commissioned by guitarist Randy Rhoads and produced by Jackson Guitars. Origin The Concorde Randy Rhoads' first Jackson prototype was the white, pinstriped, asymmetrical Flying ...

V models. During the tour cycle for ''Temper Temper'', he revealed he has left Jackson and was now endorsing B.C. Rich who made him a Signature V based upon their JRV models. More recently, Tuck acquired a pair of

Kirk Hammett Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and a contributing songwriter for heavy metal band Metallica since 1983. Before joining Metallica, he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, ...

ultra-limited edition

Gibson Flying V The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed ...

s, for his self-titled seventh album he used

Gibson Explorer The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar model by Gibson guitars, released in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Flying V, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which ...

. He also uses black

Gibson Les Paul The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typi ...

s from time to time. Currently, for his backline he uses Fractal Audio Axe FX guitar effects modelling systems in lieu of a conventional setup.

Personal life

Tuck married Charlotte Beedell on 7 September 2013 in London. The couple have two sons; born in 2010 and 2022. They filed for divorce in early 2016 but later reconciled.

Discography

Bullet for My Valentine

Studio albums

*''

'' (2005) *''

Scream Aim Fire ''Scream Aim Fire'' is the second studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on 28 January 2008 in the United Kingdom and the preceding day in the United States through Jive Records. Since its rele ...

'' (2008) *''

Fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a body temperature, temperature above the human body temperature, normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, set point. There is not a single ...

'' (2010) *'' Temper Temper'' (2013) *''

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

'' (2015) *''

Gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...

'' (2018) *'' Bullet for My Valentine'' (2021)

EPs

*''

Better Off Alone "Better Off Alone" is a song by Alice Deejay, the trance music project of Dutch producer DJ Jurgen in collaboration with Wessel van Diepen, Dennis van den Driesschen, Sebastiaan Molijn and Eelke Kalberg (Pronti & Kalmani). In 1997, the song was ...

'' (1999) *'' Don't Walk Away'' (2003) *'' Jeff Killed John'' (2003) *'' Bullet for My Valentine'' (2004) *''

Hand of Blood ''Hand of Blood'' is the second EP by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released on 22 August 2005 through Trustkill Records. The EP is almost the same as the previous, but with completely different artwork and slightly altered ...

'' (2005) *'' Rare Cuts'' (2007) *''Road to Nowhere'' (2008)

AxeWound

*''

Vultures A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and So ...

'' (2012)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tuck, Matthew 1980 births Welsh rock singers Living people 21st-century Welsh male singers 21st-century British guitarists British heavy metal singers Bullet for My Valentine members Nu metal singers People from Bridgend Rhythm guitarists Welsh heavy metal guitarists Welsh singer-songwriters Welsh tenors AxeWound members British male singer-songwriters