Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh metalcore band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John, and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana . Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were later reworked in their their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. Their musical style is said to draw from such bands as Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Slayer.