Bonded by Blood

Southern California has become a hotbed of talented thrash metal acts in recent years, however only one band has the chops to stand out above all others. Only one band has successfully taken the risks necessary to rise above the rest. From Pomona, CA, that band is BONDED BY BLOOD.

In the summer of 2005, a then-17 year old vocalist by the name of Jose Barrales had the idea to form a band that was as raw and fast as the punk and hardcore bands he would see perform in local basements and house parties. He would later hook up with Alex Lee and Juan Juarez, 2 talented shred guitarists whose styles are influenced greatly by progressive metal. After recruiting a mutual friend on bass, the final piece of the puzzle came into place when drummer Carlos Regalado joined the group. Influenced by classic metal, Carlos' style was the perfect complement to the speed, attitude and technicality that the band intended on showcasing to the world.

Though it was evident that each member had their own distinct musical influences, they all united over love for one particular genre: THRASH METAL. It was a love for ‘80s thrash stalwarts Exodus in particular which brought them all together. Each member cited the genre-defining classic, Bonded By Blood, as their favorite album. Speedy, yet melodic and with lots of piss and vinegar to spare, everything about the album perfectly captured exactly what the band wanted to accomplish on their new endeavor. With that, the band could think of no better way to pay tribute to their biggest influence and show the world what they are about than to name themselves after the legendary album -- thus, BONDED BY BLOOD was born!
Almost immediately after forming, BONDED BY BLOOD proved their worth on a local level by playing countless shows and winning numerous "battle of the bands" tournaments in a short amount of time. The band would also soon share the stage with many of their heroes, such as TESTAMENT, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, SADUS and EXODUS. It is unusual for a newly formed band to gain so much genuine momentum in such a short amount of time, but their rapidly growing LA fanbase knew that there was something special about BONDED BY BLOOD.
2006 saw the release of their first demo, Four Pints of Blood. The band gained attention from many more fans after promoting that release. Even more serious attention was given to BONDED BY BLOOD after the debut of their August 2007 self-released EP, Extinguish the Weak. It resulted in instant acclaim from the awaiting hordes of thrash fanatics and label interest was swift to follow, as a wider spotlight had begun to shine on the burgeoning LA Thrash scene.
EARACHE RECORDS had beaten many to the punch, however, sending BONDED BY BLOOD a contract offer weeks before Extinguish the Weak had hit the streets. Recognizing that EARACHE was the label doing the most to put Thrash back into the global forefront, BONDED BY BLOOD inked a long term worldwide deal with the famed label in September of that year. It was a natural fit for both parties and a definite move in the right direction in the young career of BONDED BY BLOOD.
Their debut LP, Feed the Beast, was released in June 2008. Recorded at Love Juice Labs in Riverside, CA, Feed the Beast is a frantic thrash thrill ride that never lets up. From the crunchy riffs of the album opener, "Immortal Life" to the final cries of "Turtle Power!" in their now-famous cover of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song, Feed the Beast was a very successful worldwide debut for Pomona group that Hails & Horns magazine dubbed "so thrash it hurts."
In the months that followed, the band toured relentlessly around the world alongside such bands as EXMORTUS and labelmates, GAMA BOMB for their first major North American and European tours (respectively). Over the course of their months on the road, BONDED BY BLOOD would encounter van breakdowns, near-collisions, last minute bowling alley shows and the wrath of White Castle hamburgers.

Having grown stronger from these experiences, BONDED BY BLOOD laid low upon their return to Pomona in mid-2009. Despite playing to delighted audiences around the world and drawing rave reviews from the likes of Kerrang! magazine, who said that Feed the Beast was "a superbly crushing debut that assures their place at the top of the new thrash pile;" the band was still hungry to prove themselves all over again. They needed to do something more ambitious and stand out from the newer wave of fly-by-night thrash bands who were nipping at their heels. Changes needed to be made, plans needed to enlarge and the music needed to get faster.

The first step was to let a mutual friend of BONDED BY BLOOD, Jerry Garcia into the fold as their new bassist. Already proven as a talented musician, Jerry became indispensable as a creative force within the band, helping to spark the process behind creating the storylines and mythology of their upcoming August 2010 sophomore release, Exiled to Earth. When vocalist, Jose Barrales had originally began sketching out ideas for Feed the Beast’s follow-up, he dreamed creating a concept album based around aliens based off of some of his favorite comics and films. Needing a final piece of the puzzle, it came when Jerry had begun to talk about conspiracy theories during a band meeting. The 2 members collaborated on their ideas and the end result was the story as used on Exiled to Earth.
More thrilling, more intense and more technical than Feed the Beast, August 2010's Exiled to Earth is a major step forward in the career of BONDED BY BLOOD. It is a sci-fi concept record about an underground sect of humanity that declares war on an alien race called The Crong. The Crong has enslaved humanity and taken control of Earth over 600 years into the future. Will the human underground prevail or will this be its final stand? Only BONDED BY BLOOD has all of the answers on Exiled to Earth.

Armed with a new album, a new management company and new booking agents August 2010 also marked the beginning of BONDED BY BLOOD's most grueling tour schedule to date. The band supporting Exiled to Earth with an extensive 10-month trek that took them to Europe for several festivals including the UK’s Bloodstock and the Czech Republic’s Brutal Assault and across North America so many times over supporting bands like EXODUS, MALEVOLENT CREATION, OVERKILL, EARLY MAN, FORBIDDEN, EVILE, GAMA BOMB, DEATH ANGEL and SEPULTURA, in addition a European co-headlining run with LAZARUS A.D.
In September upon the completion of the EXODUS dates vocalist Jose Barrales departed to return to school and work and was replaced by another local thrash singer and friend of the band, Mauro Gonzales, from the outfit Mutants of War. Mauro has done a fantastic job since being the frontman and voice of the band. Along the way other members were lost due to the relentless life on the road of an emerging metal band but BONDED BY BLOOD always stuck to their original philosophy and intent of the group and recognized that the whole was greater than any individual.

BONDED BY BLOOD will complete their live commitments and regroup and write a new album over the summer and fall with an intended early 2012 release date.