The year was 1985 and a beast called Thrash Metal had raised its head. The San Francisco bay area had spawned a number of bands playing Thrash Metal. 1985 would see the emergence of another band from the depths of the Bay Area underground. Exodus exploded onto the world with Bonded By Blood. The band comprised of Paul Ballof (Vocals), Gary Holt (Guitars), Rick Hunolt (Guitars), Rob Mckillop (Bass) and Tom Hunting (Drums).

Bonded By Blood is quite possibly the greatest full-length debut album to come out of the Thrash Metal scene. Ballof's spit at your face vocal delivery along with Hunolt and Holts' furious guitar riffing meant that Exodus had created an absolute monster with Bonded By Blood. The title track opens the album and the minute it kicks off you know you are in for a wild ride. Bonded By Blood is an album that never lets up on the aggression. Every song is an open invitation to the listener to commit acts of violence and other assorted mayhem.

The first three songs on the album blur past you in a ferocious blast of power before the album highlights start. A Lesson In Violence and Piranha are two of the greatest thrash metal songs ever written. A Lesson In Violence in particular is an awesome display if aggression with a face ripping lead guitar trade off in the middle. When Ballof snarls "I'll teach you a lesson in violence you won't soon forget" you cannot help but believe him.

The gentle acoustic opening strains of No Love lull you into a sense of false security before the thrash guitars kick in and Ballof snarls out in his trademark pissed off, pessimistic style. The rest of the album continues in this face ripping fashion with the seven-minute song Deliver Us To Evil being another highlight of this album.  

Bonded By Blood is a classic in the Thrash Metal genre. Its importance to modern day heavy metal cannot be over emphasized. With Bonded By Blood Exodus has taught us a lesson in Thrash Metal that we will never forget.

Label - Combat
Year Of Release - 1985

1. Bonded By Blood

2. Exodus
3. And Then There Were None
4. A Lesson In Violence
5. Metal Command
6. Piranha
7. No Love
8. Deliver Us To Evil
9. Strike Of The Beast