Waking the Demon

Last updated

"Waking the Demon"
Bullet for My Valentine - Waking The Demon.jpg
Single by Bullet for My Valentine
from the album Scream Aim Fire
B-side "Say Goodnight" (acoustic)
Released25 April 2008 (2008-04-25) [1]
Recorded2007
Genre Metalcore [2]
Length4:08
Label Jive [3]
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Colin Richardson [1]
Bullet for My Valentine singles chronology
"Hearts Burst into Fire"
(2008)
"Waking the Demon"
(2008)
"Your Betrayal"
(2010)
Music video
"Waking the Demon" on YouTube

"Waking the Demon" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The song is released as the third and final single from their second album Scream Aim Fire . The video for the song was written and directed by Max Nichols (son of Academy Award-winning director Mike Nichols). [4]

Contents

Song concept

The meaning of this song is all about revenge. Matt Tuck, the band's lead singer and rhythm guitarist, said:

"Waking the Demon" is about finding someone's inner demon. Most of us in the band got pushed around in school so the song is about getting tormented, day in and day out for years, and then one day 'snap!' fight back! [4] [5]

The video was released on 16 April 2008 as the band's MySpace video. [4] On 7 April 2009, "Waking the Demon" was released as a downloadable song for Rock Band. [6]

Music video

The video is about a teenage heavy metal fan (Cohlie Brocato) who is bullied in high school by a jock (Noah Fleiss). The leader of the group is dating a girl who seems sympathetic for the boy, but is not brave enough to stand up for him. There are numerous shots of the band playing in a moonlit forest. Throughout the video, the jock repeatedly attacks the boy, including spraying warm showers on him in the locker room and dumping a Strawberry shake on him in class, tripping him, pushing him into walls, smacking him with a towel, splashing bathroom water on his face, etc.

Meanwhile, as the days pass, the teenager crosses off dates on a calendar in his locker. He circles the last date, the 28th, which is labeled "Full Moon". That night, he watches the jocks' leader waiting in the forest for his girlfriend, who lured him to the forest by asking to meet him there so that the teenage boy could get revenge on him. The teenager throws a balloon filled with cottage cheese at the jock's car to provoke him to chase him deeper into the forest. The song prepares for the solo as the jock chases the boy through the forest.

As the guitar solo starts, the teenager falls down on his knees and the full moon comes out of the clouds, turning him into a werewolf. The bully approaches the now changed boy. Once the jock sees the teenage victim's face, the jock is horrified and tries to run, and is implied to have been slaughtered by the werewolf. Blood drips from the werewolf's mouth and hands. The next day at school, there is a new sign displaying the original bully as missing. Now, another jock tries to show his anger towards the teenager and tries to harass him a little bit.

The girl who dated the old bully runs up and hugs him, hinting that now she's going out with him after news that the leader went missing. As the other jock walks off with the girl, she looks at the teenager, giving him a look of "I'm on your side" and he sees her eyes glow red (revealing that she also is a werewolf like himself). He smiles knowing that her new "boyfriend" will be the next victim, and crosses out the first day of the next month waiting for the full moon to come again, implying that the new jock won't be able to harass him so easily.

As of August 2024, the song has 89 million views on YouTube. [7]

Track listing

iTunes Single [8]
  1. "Waking the Demon" (Rock Radio Mix) – 4:07
  2. "Say Goodnight" (acoustic version) – 3:14

Personnel

Bullet for My Valentine

Production

Release history

CountryDateFormat
United States21 April 2008CD single
United Kingdom16 June 2008iTunes
JapanEP
South Korea

Charts

Chart (2008)Peak
Position
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [9] 39

Related Research Articles

<i>I Was a Teenage Werewolf</i> 1957 film by Gene Fowler Jr.

I Was a Teenage Werewolf is a 1957 American science fiction horror film directed by Gene Fowler Jr., and starring Michael Landon as a troubled teenager, Yvonne Lime and Whit Bissell. Co-written and produced by cult film producer Herman Cohen, it was one of the most successful films released by American International Pictures (AIP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bullet for My Valentine</span> Welsh heavy metal band

Bullet for My Valentine, often abbreviated as BFMV, are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is currently composed of Matthew Tuck, Michael Paget, Jason Bowld (drums) and Jamie Mathias. Former members include Michael Thomas, Jason James and Nick Crandle; the latter were on bass. 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 reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. A change of style from that of Jeff Killed John led the band to change their name. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slayer. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.

<i>The Poison</i> 2005 studio album by Bullet for My Valentine

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 Records. The album included 11 new songs and two previously heard songs, "Cries in Vain", which was previously heard from the band's self-titled UK EP and from their US EP, Hand of Blood, as well as from "4 Words " was previously included on the same US release. Different editions of the album contain the song "Hand of Blood", previously heard from these EPs, replacing "Spit You Out".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tears Don't Fall</span> 2006 single by Bullet for My Valentine

"Tears Don't Fall" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. It is the band's fourth single from their first full-length studio album, The Poison. The single was released on 17 June 2006 through Trustkill Records in the US. The song won the Kerrang! Award for Best Single. The song peaked at No. 24 on the Hot Mainstream Rock chart and No. 32 on the Alternative Rock chart. In 2013, the band released a sequel to the song called "Tears Don't Fall " on their fourth studio album, Temper Temper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)</span> 2006 single by Bullet for My Valentine

"All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)" is a song produced by the Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The song was released as the third single from the band's debut album The Poison, through Sony BMG on 3 February 2006 in Europe and released in United Kingdom through Visible Noise on 7 February 2006. The band originally recorded the song on their 2003 Jeff Killed John EP. It is their highest-charting single in the UK, peaking at number 29. It is arguably the softest song on The Poison due to its use of an acoustic guitar and minimal screaming.

<i>Scream Aim Fire</i> 2008 studio album by Bullet for My Valentine

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 release, Scream Aim Fire has sold over 1,400,000 copies worldwide. It is the band's most commercially successful effort in Australia, earning a gold certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in addition to a gold certification from both the band's native British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the United Kingdom and the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scream Aim Fire (song)</span> 2007 single by Bullet for My Valentine

"Scream Aim Fire" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. It was released as the lead single from their second album of the same name on the American iTunes store on 18 December 2007, and has also been released on the band's MySpace profile. Featured in the video games Guitar Hero World Tour and non-US versions of Guitar Hero Modern Hits, it is the band's highest charting single worldwide. It is also available as downloadable content in the video game Rock Band 3. A live version of the song recorded at BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge show was included as a bonus track on deluxe editions of the band's 4th studio album Temper Temper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hearts Burst into Fire</span> 2008 single by Bullet for My Valentine

"Hearts Burst into Fire" is a song by the heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The song was released as the second single from their second album, Scream Aim Fire. The song is featured in the video game NHL 09. Like most of their songs, the song is played in Drop C guitar tuning.

<i>Fever</i> (Bullet for My Valentine album) 2010 studio album by Bullet for My Valentine

Fever is the third studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. Containing eleven tracks, the album was released on 26 and 27 April 2010 in the UK and in the US, respectively. The album sold 71,000 copies in the US and 21,965 in the UK in its first week of release to debut at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Billboard's Rock and Alternative charts, making it the band's most successfully-charting record to date. Since its release, Fever has sold over 600,000 copies worldwide. It also went gold in the UK in late 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Betrayal</span> 2010 single by Bullet for My Valentine

"Your Betrayal" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine and was released as the first and lead US single from their third album, Fever. The song was set for release on 8 March 2010 to the radio; and, unexpectedly, was released early as a Digital 45 on iTunes along with the track "Begging for Mercy" on 2 March 2010. Before that, "Begging for Mercy" was offered for free download on 14 February 2010 from the band's official website for a limited time. "Your Betrayal" was nominated for the Kerrang! Award for Best Single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Last Fight (Bullet for My Valentine song)</span> 2010 single by Bullet for My Valentine

"The Last Fight" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, released as the second and lead UK single from their third album, Fever, on 19 April 2010 to the radio and a limited 7" edition of 1000 copies on 17 April 2010 with "Begging for Mercy" as a B-side. An acoustic version of the song was released as a "Pre-order Only" bonus track on the iTunes version of the album. Before all that, "Begging for Mercy" was offered for free download on 14 February 2010 from the band's official website for a limited time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bittersweet Memories</span> Song by Bullet for My Valentine

"Bittersweet Memories" is a power ballad by the Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. It is the third single from the band's third studio album, Fever. The music video for "Bittersweet Memories" was released on 25 November 2010.

<i>Temper Temper</i> (Bullet for My Valentine album) 2013 studio album by Bullet for My Valentine

Temper Temper is the fourth studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on 8 February 2013 in Australia, and 11 February 2013 worldwide under RCA Records, their first under the label. The album was once again produced by Don Gilmore, who worked on the group's last album, 2010's Fever, and was mixed by noted engineer Chris Lord-Alge. This would be the last album recorded with their full original lineup with longtime bassist Jason James before he departed from the band in February 2015.

"Temper Temper" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine from their album Temper Temper. Its music video revolves around a group of people in a room with anger and fury issues. It is the only music video by the band without the members in it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riot (Bullet for My Valentine song)</span> 2012 single by Bullet for My Valentine

"Riot" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The single "Riot" is included on their fourth studio album Temper Temper. It charted at number 22 on Mainstream Rock Songs. It was featured in the video game NHL 14.

"Breaking Point" is a single by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. It is the fourth and final single from their fourth studio album Temper Temper. A music video for the song was released on 7 June 2013, and an official single released 12 August 2013. "Breaking Point" peaked at number 36 on Mainstream Rock Songs

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raising Hell (Bullet for My Valentine song)</span> 2013 single by Bullet for My Valentine

"Raising Hell" is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. It was released on 18 November 2013 as a promotional single to showcase what the band's future material would sound like. The song is featured as a deluxe edition bonus track on the band's fifth album Venom. This is the final song that featured Jason James on bass after the band and him parted ways in February 2015.

<i>Venom</i> (Bullet for My Valentine album) 2015 studio album by Bullet for My Valentine

Venom is the fifth studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on 14 August 2015 via RCA Records, their second and last album under the label as well as their final album under the Sony Music umbrella. It is the first album by the band since the departure of bassist Jason "Jay" James, which was announced in February 2015 while the band was recording the album. Jamie Mathias was announced as his replacement on 18 May 2015, along with the album's title, release date and release of the album's first single, "No Way Out". This would also be the final album with founding drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas who parted ways with the band officially in 2017.

"You Want a Battle? " is a song by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. It was released on 29 June 2015, as the second single from the album Venom.

<i>Bullet for My Valentine</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Bullet for My Valentine

Bullet for My Valentine is the seventh studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. Originally scheduled for release on 22 October 2021, it was released on 5 November 2021 through Spinefarm Records and was produced by Carl Bown.

References

  1. 1 2 "Bullet for My Valentine - Waking the Demon Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" via www.allmusic.com.
  2. "14 Metalcore songs you probably forgot about". Alternative Press . 14 December 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  3. "Bullet For My Valentine – Waking The Demon (2008, CD) - Discogs".
  4. 1 2 3 "BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE: 'Waking The Demon' Video Trailer Available". BlabberMouth.
  5. "cudear.com - cudear Resources and Information".
  6. "Rock Band Rivals | Harmonix Music Systems, Inc". rockband.com.
  7. bulletvalentineVEVO (25 October 2009). Bullet For My Valentine - Waking The Demon (Official Video) . Retrieved 21 August 2024 via YouTube.
  8. "iTunes Store: Waking The Demon - Single". Apple Inc. 26 April 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  9. "Bullet for My Valentine Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2021.