Bonded by Blood

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Bonded by Blood
Studio album by Exodus
Released April 25, 1985[1]
Recorded July 1984
at Prairie Sun Studios
Genre Thrash metal
Length 40:49
48:37 (Re-release)
Label Torrid/Combat
Producer Mark Whitaker
Exodus chronology

Bonded by Blood
(1985)
Pleasures of the Flesh
(1987)
Alternative cover

For other uses of the phrase, see Bonded by Blood (disambiguation)

Bonded by Blood is the debut album by the San Francisco 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 its record label. It is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time,[2] utilizing the solo trade-off method which would later become a staple of many thrash and death metal songs. It is also the only full length studio album of Exodus to feature Paul Baloff on vocals, though he was also on their 1982 Demo. Baloff was back in Exodus for five years (from 1997 to his death in 2002), and appeared on their 1997 live album Another Lesson in Violence.

In 2008, Bonded by Blood was re-recorded in its entirety with the band's modern lineup as Let There Be Blood. Guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Tom Hunting are the only band members to play on both the original and the remake. As of January 2007, Bonded by Blood sold over 32,000 copies in the U.S since the Soundscan era.[3]

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

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [2]

Bonded by Blood received a positive review from Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic.com, 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."[2]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Bonded by Blood"  Baloff, Holt 3:43
2. "Exodus"  Baloff, Holt 4:05
3. "And Then There Were None"  Holt, Hunting 4:40
4. "A Lesson in Violence"  Holt, Hunolt 3:49
5. "Metal Command"  Baloff, Holt, Whitaker 4:13
6. "Piranha"  Baloff, Holt 3:45
7. "No Love"  Baloff, Holt 5:08
8. "Deliver Us to Evil"  Holt, Hunolt, Whitaker 7:07
9. "Strike of the Beast"  Baloff, Holt 3:57
Total length:
40:49

Re-issue bonus tracks

Both the 1989 Combat Records release and 1999 Century Media release feature the following bonus tracks with Steve "Zetro" Souza on vocals. They were recorded live in London, on March 8, 1989.

  1. "And Then There Were None (Live)" - 4:52
  2. "A Lesson in Violence (Live)" - 3:26

Trivia

  • 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]
  • In 2013, Bonded by Blood was ranked #8 on Whatculture!'s '10 Greatest Thrash Metal Albums of All Time'.[6]
  • Bonded by Blood was ranked #80 on Metalrules.com's 'Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums'.[7]

Personnel

Production[8]

  • Arranged by Exodus
  • Produced by Mark Whitaker
  • Recorded by John Volaitis; assisted by Mark Whitaker
  • Mixed by Robin Yeager & Mark Whitaker at Tres Virgos Studios; assisted by Gordon "The Triple Threat" Lyons
  • Mastered by George Horn
  • All titles published by Einstein Music

References

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