Bloodbound
Tabula Rasa

July 2009
Released: 2009, Blistering Records
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Alan Gilkeson

With the return of one of the best singers in Metal, Bloodbound circle the wagons around Urban Breed and wait for his voice to make their record. The term TABULA RASA is Latin and means 'blank slate' or can be loosely translated as 'fresh start'. Bloodbound have started anew here for the third time. The first album NOSFERATU was standard Power Metal flare, though Urban made it shine, and the second BOOK OF THE DEAD was more like 80's Metal. Tabula Rasa is indeed a new beginning.



Gone is the total reliance on genre. Sure it's still Power Metal, but the boundaries are stretched a bit, less traditional and more modern sounding. There's some amazing vocal work and arrangements, sweet harmonies, viral falsettos, and they are the highlight. Check out the power ballad 'Night Touches You' to get the full affect of how Bloodbound have decided to live or die by Urban Breed's vocal. 'Sweet Dreams of Madness' and 'Dominion 5' are hooky, gratifying tunes, steeped in riffage.



With Breed's return Bloodbound open new doorways for themselves. No longer formulaic and easily written off, they have the chance to further expand the limits of Power Metal, feature some other styles, like some of the Swedish Death metal riffing they display here, and create something identifiable only with themselves.