It’s the business end of the year and it’s that time when folks are busy trying to lock down their end of year lists. A time of year which is rather confusing for people as the need to rank and order musical releases on some kind of scale seems to cause no end of confusion and frustration, especially when that moment you think things have finally been locked into place is shattered by a release which just exceeds expectations and sends you back to the drawing board.
Having said that, let me introduce you to Teutonic thrash powerhouses Bonded.
“Into Blackness” is the band’s second full length release, following on from their successful debut “Rest In Violence”, and the five piece which features former members of Sodom (Bernd Kost and Markus Freiwald), Assassin (Marc Halschild and Ingo Bajonczak) and Suicidal Angels (Chris Tsitsis) certainly means business. So gear up, it’s time to take a thrash metal themed trip into the darkness.
The first thing of note about this release is that the obligatory instrumental opening actually elicits some kind of mental response when you listen to it and for once it isn’t the kind which is along the lines of ‘ugh, not another one of these tracks which should be part of the following track!’
“The Arsonist” which leads into “Watch (While The World Burns)” brings forth that same feel of excitement and atmosphere the famous Judas Priest numbers ‘The Hellion / Electric Eye’ does. An electrifying air of suspense and anticipation which hits a peak before a rapid onslaught of Teutonic thrash smashes through with all the precision and rhythmic fury you would expect. Piercing tones, a thundering rhythm section, raw vocals and tight guitars surge forth from the darkness and take no prisoners. It’s just what you need to get the blood going in these cold and miserable mornings!
“Lilith (Queen Of Blood)” keeps up the intense onslaught, musically living up to its moniker by drawing you in, lowering your guard and then consuming you much like it’s legendary namesake. The precise rhythmic execution combined with the melodic structuring and powerful vocal hooks makes for a formidable track and the power behind the lead guitar work is delivered with style, merging melodic lines with that classic piercing thrash tone to help with the overall dynamics of the track. “The Holy Whore” follows this up and whilst it is every bit as scathing as its title may imply. The vocals have a real aggressive edge there which cuts like a razor which is carried forth on some phenomenal drums. Effortlessly switching from furiously fast to cruising grooves, loaded with thundering chugs and soaring melodies, it keeps the momentum and the intensity up, giving the album a solid opening and foundation which demonstrates what Bonded are capable of.
“Division Of The Damned” is more atmospheric in nature. It’s brief atmospheric opening gives way to some tremendous chugging riffs and roaring power. Once more, the Teutonic powerhouse rhythmic stylings drive it on with impressive drums and tight riffing, two simple but extremely enjoyable things. The furious vocal delivery which has a commanding presence is matched by the rumbling bass and relentless drums and some of the technical work in the solo sections is fantastic with just how precise the switches from flair to full on shred are. It’s a fantastic track which demonstrates the heavier side of the band. “Into The Blackness Of A Wartime Night” is just an all-round solid track. It’s infectious melodic hook, catchy chorus and blistering lead section all serve as a great contrast to the powerful rhythm section locking it all down.
“Destroy The Things I Love” is a slow and hammering track which has a real powerful low end and some real raw vocals. The slower pace and screamed vocals help create an intense atmosphere, a big departure from the thundering Teutonic fury of the previous tracks but this departure is short lived as “Final Stand” is a high-octane thrash attack. Frantic paced, blasting drums and a barrage of rapid-fire riffs and screamed vocals all hit hard and relentlessly pummel away at your senses, bordering the track on almost Swe-Death territory in how it comes across. “Ill-Minded Freak” keeps this approach up but pulls back on the pace slightly, adding a little more emphasis on the evil melodic undercurrent to the progressions used behind the raw screams in the verses. The chorus has a decent melodic hook to it which always helps but the vocal power is the real stand out of this track, dominating from start to finish.
The final two tracks begin with a return to the rapid-fire thrash on “Way Of The Knife”. Ramping the riffs and drums up to full speed once again, the surging riffs and hammering rhythm gives a solid head banging track which will no doubt get bodies flying in a live setting, especially when the big shred solo kicks in. There’s a good slow down section just after the halfway point which shifts back into another fast thrash riff section before it returns back to the earlier structuring of the track to end it. Closing number “The Eyes Of Madness” opens up big with a melodic lead over hypnotic, tension building drums and sustained chords which explode into another furious thrash riff attack. The blistering pedal tone riffs and aggressive drums give way to a sing along chorus with a catchy lead lick before it slams back into the furious onslaught of riffing and slick shredding.
With “Into Blackness”, Bonded have delivered a fine thrash album. It’s exactly what you would expect from a Teutonic thrash band and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. With the relentless rhythmic attacks, sharp soloing and venomous vocals, Bonded have set a solid foundation on which they can build from. Definitely a band to keep an eye on!
(8/10 Fraggle)
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