Hand of Blood
extended play by Bullet for My Valentine
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 a reissue of the 2004 self-titled EP with slightly altered track listing and new artwork. Hand of Blood included the single "4 Words (To Choke Upon)", which was initially a Japan-only bonus track included on the aforementioned EP. This release also spawned accompanying music videos for "4 Words" and "Hand of Blood". The songs "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" and "Cries in Vain" were later included on the band's full-length debut, The Poison. The title track also appears on the limited edition of the same album.
AllMusic asserted that the EP is "essentially a deluxe version" of the band's self-titled 2004 EP.
Appearances in other media
The song "Hand of Blood" is featured in the video game Burnout Revenge in the in-game soundtrack, as well as in Need for Speed: Most Wanted. "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" is featured in the soundtrack for NHL 06 and Madden NFL 06.
Critical reception
Daniel Lukes of Decibel Magazine believed that, although the music itself wasn't bad for what it was, it was, in his opinion, not original enough. He is quoted asking: "How much louder can you scream that you’re ready and willing to grab some, any, all of Atreyu and Avenged Sevenfold’s fanbase, and that you’ll entirely forsake the chance to step out on your own?" He finished the review saying: "This band is being groomed for big things, even though it’s damned hard to see how, in the short time it’ll probably take them to get there, they’ll be able to acquire the kind of self-awareness it’ll take to be as embarrassed as they should be about this first EP." Zeromag's Josh Joyce complimented the band on "how technical they can get without confusing the kids".
"Damrod" of Sputnikmusic gave the EP a solid 4/5 stars, stating that "the songs are played well and show a lot of potential for the future".
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Hand of Blood” is extended play by Bullet for My Valentine. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Hand, Blood and extended, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “extended play by Bullet for My Valentine” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q211704. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2005 and 2004.
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This entry incorporates text from “Hand of Blood” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.