Two decades after first breaking onto the British metal scene, Bullet For My Valentine has announced plans to reissue their seminal 2004 EP, Hand Of Blood, as a standalone release.
The band issued following statement via Facebook:
“To our Bullet family,”
“We’ve started 2026 incredibly strong, working away in the studio. We can’t wait to share with you all that we’ve been working on. In the meantime, after meeting so many of you life long fans out on the road last year, we realised that we never really got to take you back to where it all started. So with that in mind, we’re incredibly happy to be able to share our reissue of the Hand Of Blood EP, releasing March 13th. We have a very limited number of each format available, and we will be giving away signed prints for the first 500 orders. So don’t miss out, and we’ll be back with you real soon.”
While the band’s 2005 full-length debut The Poison is widely credited with cementing their status as international heavyweights, the Hand Of Blood EP served as the public’s first introduction to the Welsh quartet’s sound. The collection laid the creative groundwork for the massive success that followed, helping to reshape the alternative music landscape of the mid-2000s.
Frontman Matt Tuck reflected on the milestone in a statement accompanying the announcement, acknowledging the longevity of the band’s career.
“I honestly can’t believe it’s been twenty years since the release of The Poison and Hand Of Blood, and what an incredible twenty years it’s been,” Tuck said. “I feel so proud of what we’ve achieved as a band in the last two decades and it all started with those recordings.”
The material from this era propelled the band to rapid stardom. The Poison eventually climbed to No. 21 on the U.K. album charts and achieved Gold status. It was also critical darling, landing at No. 7 on Kerrang!‘s “Albums Of The Year” list and later securing a spot in the Top 25 of Metal Hammer‘s “The Greatest Metal Albums Of The Century.”
The reissue announcement coincides with a major celebratory period for the group. Bullet For My Valentine recently joined forces with American metal titans Trivium—who are also marking the 20th anniversary of their debut, Ascendancy—for the massive global “The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour.” The joint trek saw both bands performing their classic albums in prestigious venues worldwide, including a sold-out performance at London’s O2 Arena.
Hand Of Blood EP Track Listing:
- “4 Words (To Choke Upon)“
- “Hand Of Blood“
- “Cries In Vain“
- “Curses“
- “No Control“
- “Just Another Star“
