Sometimes, the exit of a longtime member of band can signal the end…or, could provide the kick in the rump that serves as a rebirth. As heard throughout Bullet for My Valentine's hard-hitting fifth studio album, Venom, the departure of bassist Jason "Jay" James served as the latter. With singer/guitarist Matthew Tuck handling all the bass duties on eleven-track album version (a pair of songs featuring James did find their way on the deluxe edition), BFMV have assembled a recording that drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas told BraveWords correspondent Greg Prato is more a kin to their 2005 debut, The Poison, which many fans point to as their finest hour.

BraveWords: Let's start by discussing the new album, Venom.

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "It's probably a little different, but still in the same way, it's probably more towards the first album we did, The Poison - the aggression and the power in it. It's nothing like the last album we released [2013's Temper Temper] - we felt it was a bit too slow and boring, really. So we just wanted to go back to the beginning."

BraveWords: Was it a conscious decision to try to mix things up on the album?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "Yeah. We got lazy - to be honest - on the last album. We just wanted to go back and enjoy playing music again."

BraveWords: What are your favorite tracks?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "My favorite track is probably 'Army of Noise,' because it reminds me of the old school thrash - like early Metallica and Megadeth, which I love. I really like 'No Way Out.' I like all the fast ones, really. I like 'The Harder the Heart,' as well, which should really be a single, but I don't know if it's going to be."

BraveWords: Has the band performed any of the new material live yet?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "Yeah, we open with 'No Way Out,' and on this tour, we're actually playing 'Army of Noise,' as well. It's going down really well so far, so everyone's excited. It fits really well. We definitely write songs to make sure they go over well live, because we're a live band. Everything's fitting in perfectly."

BraveWords: At this point of the band's career, how are the members getting along?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "Better than ever, actually, because we know we've done such a good job on this album. Everyone's just happy and everyone's getting on, so yeah, so far so good."

BraveWords: In your estimation, what is the heaviest track Bullet for My Valentine has ever done?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "It's probably a B-side, called 'Ashes of the Innocent.' That's probably one of the heaviest tracks we've ever done. Different people have different tastes of heavy. It's heavy because of the aggression, and the drums are blast beat in the verses, so it's pretty heavy for me."

BraveWords: You just mentioned blast beat. Who do you reckon originated that in metal?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "I think it came from the drummer in the band Suffocation [Mike Smith]. I think that's where it originated from, but I'm not sure."

BraveWords: I think I've also heard people credit Charlie Benante on the S.O.D. album, Speak English Or Die.

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "He's a very underrated drummer. Yeah, I think he should be up there with the best of them - a terrific drummer."

BraveWords: What's your opinion on the current state of metal?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "It's definitely taken a bit of a dip, I think. But that's OK - over the years, metal has always dipped and risen back up, so it will always be there. It's nothing to be afraid of."

BraveWords: Who are some new artists you think are doing a good job keeping metal alive?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "A new band from England called While She Sleeps, their new album, Brainwashed, is probably one of the best albums I've heard in a very, very long time. That's it for me - I just listen to my Slayers, Metallicas, and Panteras, really."

BraveWords: Are there are any styles of music or bands that people may be surprised that you listen to?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "No, not really. I'm a straightforward heavy metal fan. I don't really listen to anything else."

BraveWords: What are BFMV's future plans?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "Touring, touring, touring. I think we really just want to get this album released, and see what happens on the way. But it's just going to be live shows for the next two years."

BraveWords: Since you're happy with how Venom turned out, are you looking forward to going back in the studio and working on its follow up?

Michael "Moose" Thomas: "We started talking about the next album - even though this one hasn't been released yet. We've got a Pro Tools rig on tour, so as soon as something comes up, we're going to start writing the next one."