Bonded by Blood

Last updated

Bonded by Blood
ExodusBondedbyblood.jpg
Studio album by
Exodus
ReleasedApril 5, 1985 [1]
RecordedJuly 1984
Studio Prairie Sun (Cotati, California)
Genre
Length40:49
Label Torrid/Combat
Producer Mark Whitaker, Ken Adams, Todd Gordon
Exodus chronology
Bonded by Blood
(1985)		 Pleasures of the Flesh
(1987)
Alternative cover
Exodus - Bonded By blood3.jpg

Bonded by Blood is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus. Although the album was completed in the summer of 1984, it was not released until 1985 due to issues with Exodus and the record label. It is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time. [3] This is also the only full-length studio album of Exodus to feature Paul Baloff on vocals, though he was also on their 1982 Demo and appeared on their 1997 live album Another Lesson in Violence .

Contents

In 2008, Exodus re-recorded Bonded by Blood and re-released it as Let There Be Blood , featuring a new line-up of members aside from drummer Tom Hunting and guitarist Gary Holt who played on the original.

Album information

Bonded by Blood was originally titled A Lesson in Violence, but had its name changed when a suitable cover idea could not be found. An advance cassette copy of the album (with the original title) was widely distributed through the tape-trading network upon the record's completion late in the summer of 1984, creating an immense underground buzz prior to the official release of the LP. The release was delayed, however, due to problems with the artwork. [4]

The song "Impaler" was originally to be featured on Bonded by Blood, but it was abandoned when Kirk Hammett took the main riff with him to Metallica (it was used on "Trapped Under Ice"). [5]

Album cover

The original album cover art was an illustration of good and evil conjoined twin infants. For the 1989 reissue this cover was replaced with the band logo on a red and black image of a crowd. The album was remastered and re-issued by Century Media in 1999 in Europe only, with two live tracks from its Combat re-release in 1989, featuring Steve Souza on vocals. This reissue from Century Media restored the original twin cover artwork.

Reception and legacy

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 8/10 [6]
Metal Forces 10/10 [7]

In a contemporary review, Bernard Doe of Metal Forces defined Bonded by Blood "a classic album in the thrash metal sense which is sure to be sneered at by the unconverted and mainstream media." [7]

Bonded by Blood received a positive modern review from Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic, who states: "Had it been released immediately after it was recorded in 1984, Exodus' Bonded by Blood might be regarded today alongside Metallica's Kill 'Em All as one of the landmark albums responsible for launching the thrash metal wave" and adds that "Exodus were left to wonder what kind of impact they may have had without these setbacks." Rivadavia also described Bonded by Blood as "an album whose influence far exceeds its actual notoriety, and it remains a crucial piece of the thrash metal puzzle – essential." [3] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff described Exodus as a band "doing what Metallica did best, and doing it with killer undeground savagery", and considered Bonded by Blood "a solid, forward-thinking record". However, he observed that their "purist lack of compromise made [Exodus] somehow toneless and haranguing compared to multi-dimensional personalities like Metallica and Megadeth." [6]

Accolades

In 2013, Bonded by Blood was ranked number 80 on Metal Rules' 'Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums'. [8] In August 2014, Revolver placed the album on its "14 Thrash Albums You Need to Own" list. [9] The album was ranked number one on Loudwire's top ten list of "Thrash Albums NOT Released by the Big 4". [10]

In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked Bonded by Blood as 45th on their list of "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". [11]

Thrash metal revival act Bonded by Blood named themselves after the album.

Track listing

All music is composed by Gary Holt, unless noted otherwise

Side one
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Bonded by Blood"
 3:43
2."Exodus"
  • Baloff
  • Holt
 4:05
3."And Then There Were None"
 4:40
4."A Lesson in Violence"Holt
  • Holt
  • Rick Hunolt
3:49
5."Metal Command"
 4:13
Side two
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
6."Piranha"Baloff 3:45
7."No Love"Baloff 5:08
8."Deliver Us to Evil"
  • Holt
  • Whitaker
  • Holt
  • Hunolt
7:07
9."Strike of the Beast"
  • Baloff
  • Holt
 3:57
Total length:40:49
Re-issue edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
10."And Then There Were None" (live)
  • Holt
  • Hunting
 4:52
11."A Lesson in Violence" (live)Holt
  • Holt
  • Hunolt
3:26
Total length:49:07

Personnel

Writing, performance and production credits are adapted from the album liner notes. [12]

Exodus

Additional personnel

Production

Artwork and design

Related Research Articles

<i>Ride the Lightning</i> 1984 studio album by Metallica

Ride the Lightning is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 27, 1984, by the independent record label Megaforce Records. The album was recorded in three weeks with producer Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. The artwork, based on a concept by the band, depicts an electric chair being struck by lightning flowing from the band logo. The title was taken from a passage in Stephen King's novel The Stand, in which a character uses the phrase to refer to execution by electric chair.

<i>Fistful of Metal</i> 1984 studio album by Anthrax

Fistful of Metal is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax, released in January 1984 by Megaforce Records and Music for Nations internationally. The album includes a cover of Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen". This is the band's only album to feature original frontman Neil Turbin and original bassist Dan Lilker, who were replaced by Matt Fallon and Frank Bello, respectively. Former original guitarist Greg Walls claims that Anthrax "ripped him off" as he claims he wrote the material on the album.

<i>Kill Em All</i> 1983 studio album by Metallica

Kill 'Em All is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 25, 1983, through the independent label Megaforce Records. After forming in 1981, Metallica began by playing shows in local clubs in Los Angeles. They recorded several demos to gain attention from club owners and eventually relocated to San Francisco to secure the services of bassist Cliff Burton. The group's No Life 'til Leather demo tape (1982) was noticed by Megaforce label head Jon Zazula, who signed them and provided a budget of $15,000 for recording. The album was recorded in May with producer Paul Curcio at the Music America Studios in Rochester, New York. It was originally intended to be titled Metal Up Your Ass, with cover art featuring a hand clutching a dagger emerging from a toilet bowl. Zazula convinced the band to change the name because distributors feared that releasing an album with such an offensive title and artwork would diminish its chances of commercial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exodus (band)</span> American thrash metal band

Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1979 in Richmond, California. Their current lineup consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, drummer Tom Hunting, and lead vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza. There are no original members left in Exodus other than Hunting, who has departed from the band twice, in 1989 and 2004, but rejoined in 2007. Exodus is also notable for including a then-unknown Kirk Hammett, who was the band's lead guitarist from its inception to his departure in 1983, when he left to join fellow Bay Area thrash metal band Metallica as Dave Mustaine's replacement. Holt has been most consistent member throughout various lineup changes and breakups, and is the only member to appear on all of Exodus' recordings. Much of the band's career has also been affected by feuds between both band members and record companies, two extended hiatuses, deaths of former band members and drug addictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Baloff</span> American heavy metal vocalist (1960–2002)

Pavel Nicholas "Paul" Baloff was an American singer, best known as the original lead vocalist of the thrash metal band Exodus. He was fired from Exodus shortly after the release of the band's 1985 debut album Bonded by Blood, and sang with various other bands before rejoining Exodus in 1997. Baloff died of a stroke in 2002.

Bay Area thrash metal referred to a steady following of heavy metal bands in the 1980s who formed and gained international status in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Along with Central Florida, the scene was widely regarded as a starting point of American thrash metal, crossover thrash and death metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Souza</span> American metal vocalist

Steve "Zetro" Souza is an American musician, best known for his work as lead vocalist with thrash metal band Exodus from 1986 to 1994, and again from 2002 to 2004. He rejoined Exodus for a third time in 2014. Souza is one of two singers, along with Chuck Billy, for the band Dublin Death Patrol. He also sings for the thrash metal band Tenet and was the lead singer for the thrash metal band Legacy. In 2011, Souza announced his new project, Hatriot. He stepped down as the frontman of the band in 2015, leaving the role of lead vocals to his son, Cody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hirax</span> American thrash metal band

Hirax is an American thrash metal band from Cypress, California. Starting in 1984 under the leadership of vocalist Katon W. De Pena, the band played in Los Angeles and San Francisco with several of their thrash metal peers such as Metallica, Exodus, and Slayer. The band was an early example of thrash metal, speed metal and crossover thrash, yet inspired by cross-genre influences including blues vocalist Sam Cooke, who De Pena once cited as "the greatest vocalist [De Pena] has ever heard."

<i>Tempo of the Damned</i> 2004 studio album by Exodus

Tempo of the Damned is the sixth studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus. Released on February 2, 2004 via Nuclear Blast, Tempo of the Damned was Exodus' first studio release since 1992's Force of Habit. It was the last appearance of longtime vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza until his return for 2014's Blood In, Blood Out as well as the last appearance of founding drummer Tom Hunting until 2007's The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A. The album was also the last studio appearance of guitarist Rick Hunolt until the band's 2021 album Persona Non Grata, where he made a guest appearance.

<i>Fabulous Disaster</i> 1989 studio album by Exodus

Fabulous Disaster is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus. It was released on January 30, 1989 on the UK label Music for Nations, while the US version was released on Combat/Relativity Records. In 1999, Century Media remastered and reissued the band's first three albums in Europe only.

<i>Pleasures of the Flesh</i> 1987 studio album by Exodus

Pleasures of the Flesh is the second studio album by the American thrash metal band Exodus. Released in 1987, it is the group's first album to feature Steve Souza on vocals after Paul Baloff was fired from the band. The record was remastered and re-issued by Century Media in 1998 for distribution in Europe only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Holt (musician)</span> American guitarist

Gary Wayne Holt is an American musician from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the guitarist, bandleader, and main songwriter for thrash metal band Exodus, and has also been a member of Slayer from 2011 to 2019 and again since 2024, initially joining as a temporary guitarist in place of Jeff Hanneman, and as a permanent guitarist after Hanneman's death in May 2013.

<i>Impact Is Imminent</i> 1990 studio album by Exodus

Impact Is Imminent is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus, released in 1990. Impact Is Imminent was Exodus' first album on Capitol Records as well as their first album to feature John Tempesta on drums. It was also the last studio album to feature Rob McKillop on bass, though he appeared on their first live album, Good Friendly Violent Fun, which was recorded live in 1989 but not released until 1991. Impact Is Imminent was re-released in 2008 in a limited edition mini-album packaging to resemble the original vinyl release, including the inner sleeve.

<i>Pleasure to Kill</i> 1986 studio album by Kreator

Pleasure to Kill is the second studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in November 1986 by Noise Records.

<i>Force of Habit</i> 1992 studio album by Exodus

Force of Habit is the fifth studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus, released on August 25, 1992, by Capitol Records. The sound of this album was a departure from the band's previous albums, focusing on a rather slower and experimental sound, which presented a groove metal style. Many of the song titles are common figures of speech.

<i>Lessons in Violence</i> 1992 compilation album by Exodus

The Best of Exodus: Lessons in Violence is a compilation album by thrash metal band Exodus. Even though this compilation album was released after Impact Is Imminent, it contains no tracks from that album as Exodus had switched record labels by that time. Therefore, the band had no involvement with this album.

<i>Another Lesson in Violence</i> 1997 live album by Exodus

Another Lesson in Violence is a live album by the American thrash metal band Exodus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Hunting</span> American drummer

Thomas Hunting is an American musician. He is the drummer and only remaining original member of the thrash metal band Exodus.

<i>Let There Be Blood</i> 2008 studio album of re-recorded songs by Exodus

Let There Be Blood is a studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus. It is a re-record of their 1985 debut album Bonded by Blood. The only band members who play on both Bonded by Blood and Let There Be Blood are guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Tom Hunting. The track "Hell's Breath" originally appears on the "1983 Rehearsal" with Kirk Hammett and never was recorded officially.

References

  1. ↑ "Exodus Tour Dates". metallipromo.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Exodus - Bonded by Blood". MetalReviews.com.
  3. 1 2 3 Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Exodus – Bonded by Blood review". AllMusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ Dome, Malcolm (February 2006). "Exodus' Bonded By Blood: the story behind thrash metal's ultimate lesson in violence". Metal Hammer . No. 149. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Exodus – Tempo of the Damned – Encyclopaedia Metallum". The Metal Archives. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 111–112. ISBN   978-1894959315.
  7. 1 2 Doe, Bernard (1985). "Exodus – Bonded by Blood". Metal Forces (9). Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  8. ↑ "The Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums". Metal Rules. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  9. ↑ "14 Thrash Albums You Need to Own". Revolver.com . August 29, 2014. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Top 10 Thrash Albums NOT Released by the Big 4". Loudwire.com. October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Rolling Stone Share Their Choices For 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time'". Theprp.com. June 21, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  12. ↑ Bonded by Blood (booklet). Exodus. Combat Records. 1985.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.