BLOODBOUND – Stormborn (Album Review)

Bloodbound Serve a Hefty Chunk of Swedish Power Metal For Dinner

Discovering Bloodbound as a part of my searching/learning process for the bands listed at what was to be my first venture across the ocean for Sweden Rock Festival in 2013, I liked their power metal sound. In becoming an ever bigger fan of that category of metal/rock I quickly collected their catalog. Consisting of 2005’s Nosferatu, 2007’s The Book of the Dead, 2009’s Tabula Rasa, 2011’s Unholy Cross and 2012’s In the Name of Metal.

Bloodbound began life in 2004 with Fredrik Bergh (keyboards) and Tomas Olsson (guitar) being the original creators. The band started out with Urban Breed handling the vocal duties. But for the second release, he was succeeded by Michael Bormann. For Tabula Rasa, Breed returned to the fold until Patrik Johansson came in for Unholy Cross and forward. The rest of the band on Stormborn alongside Bergh, Olsson, and Johansson are: Anders Broman (bass), Henrik Olsson (guitar) and Pelle Akerlind (drums).

BLOODBOUND – Stormborn (Album Review)

Stormborn begins with a 1:43 intro, “Bloodtale”, that I suppose is intended to be creepy or devilish but serves to me as not much more than a waste of time. “Satanic Panic” turns things around and rips out of the gates running rampant with piercingly tight vocals, riffs, thrash style pace and a huge chorus. “Iron Throne” is a little high pitched and screechy at times for my particular likes but it has been chosen as the lead single/video, included below. “Nightmares From the Grave” is more like my expectations from Bloodbound with a chanting chorus and a children’s choir segment. The title track “Stormborn” is a stomping power metal anthem. Beginning ominously with the clap of thunder and rain falling, to choir vocals, to the pounding beat driving the track forward.

“We Raise the Dead” begins with a charging riff, powering forward into the thumping track for one of the best of the compilation and probably my top pick. Anthemic “Made of Steel” had my air drumming off to the races. It is exactly what the title would suggest, hard driving, first pumping, chanting metal. Perhaps this will be my top pick instead. Keeping things moving in the same vein is “Blood of My Blood”. As Stormborn goes forward it just seems to get better and better. A truly epic track with “When the Kingdom Will Fall” appears next. And “Seven Hells” is a thundering delight. To bring the album to a nice close on a high note, the ripping “When All Lights Fail” wraps up Stormborn.

BLOODBOUND – Stormborn (Final Thoughts)

An excellent entry into the year’s album race, Bloodbound‘s Stormborn is a solid bet for all power metal fans. With Johansson‘s soaring, piercing vocals and Bergh‘s keyboards adding to the orchestral and Gothic feel of the record backed up by lyrical themes of pirates, dragons and more. This shall load into the MP3 player immediately!

PHOTO CREDIT: AFM RECORDS PRESS KIT 2014

BUY: Bloodbound – Stormborn