Bullet for My Valentine are ready to enter the new year fresh, and in that spirit the group has just announced that Jason Bowld, who has been sitting in for Michael "Moose" Thomas on drums for the band of late, has now become the official drummer for the band.

Bowld, who had also played with singer Matt Tuck in AxeWound, initially stepped in for Thomas when the drummer decided to take some time off from the group in 2015 to spend time with his family. Bowld has remained behind the kit ever since, and as we head toward the end of 2017, Bullet for My Valentine have now made the drummer change official.

In a statement on their social media, the group also confirmed that they are nearing completing on their sixth studio album and that Bowld has been with them through writing and recording sessions. They thank Thomas for his time with the group and wish him the best moving forward. The entire statement can be read and viewed below:

Bullet family,

So, the time is almost upon us. We’ve been slaving away since April on new music, and we’re stoked to say that as of today - the sixth Bullet album is 99% DONE. We’ve one or two cherries to add to the cake, so to speak, but we can say without doubt that we’ve created something that we’re incredibly proud of, and we can’t wait to let you hear it.

In the spirit of starting a fresh chapter for Bullet For My Valentine, we wanted to clarify the Bullet For My Valentine drummer situation . As most of you know, Jason Bowld has been in the hot seat since November 2015, playing every show we’ve done since then - killing it every single night. Jase has been a big part of making the last cycle for us our most enjoyable and successful yet, from the live shows through to the writing and recording sessions for ‘Don’t Need You’ last year.

With that said, we’d like to officially welcome Jason to Bullet For My Valentine as our permanent drummer. Since initially filling in for Moose in 2015, Jase has cemented himself as an integral member of the Bullet family, and you guys are going to be blown away with what he’s brought to the new record.

We’d like to place on record our thanks for everything that Michael “Moose” Thomas has given to Bullet throughout his time in the band, and we wish him every success in his future endeavours.

Please join us in welcoming Jase to the fold, as I know he’d like to thank you guys for all the support and love you guys have given him over the last 2 years.

We’ll see you guys in 2018. It’s going to be a big one.

BFMV.

In addition to a new album that's expected in 2018, fans can look for the band getting a jump on touring early in the year, joining Avenged Sevenfold for shows in the U.S. See all of their scheduled stops here.

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