* En anglais uniquement
A Swedish heavy metal institution,
Bloodbound's music has remained constant throughout their career, never straying very far from a traditional heavy metal base with power and symphonic metal accoutrements. Emerging in 2005 with
Nosferatu, the band's dark image, which included corpse paint-style makeup, suggested a proclivity for black metal, but their sound hewed closer to anthemic power metal stalwarts like
Helloween and
Hammerfall.
Bloodbound continued to explore the realms of epic fantasy metal on subsequent outings like Tabula Rasa (2009),
Stormborn (2014), and Rise of the Dragon Empire (2019).
Bloodbound were formed in the summer of 2004 by kindred metallic spirits
Tomas Olsson (lead guitar) and
Fredrik Bergh (keyboards), both of whom had cut their teeth with several bands over the years before first joining forces in the short-lived Street Talk. Looking to make a strong impression from the get-go, the duo convinced experienced frontman
Urban Breed, formerly of
Tad Morose, to join
Bloodbound's ranks, then completed the band's lineup with drummer Pelle Åkerlind (ex-
Morgana LeFay), bassist Johan Sohlberg, and
Olsson's brother Henrik as rhythm guitarist. This quintet recorded 2006's well-received freshman LP
Nosferatu, but their much-vaunted "blood brothers" kinship was sadly already dissolved by the release of 2007's sophomore
Book of the Dead, where
Michael Bormann stepped in as vocalist and
Bergh took over bass duties from the departed Sohlberg. Luckily,
Bloodbound's original lineup would reunite for 2009's Tabula Rasa, only to splinter yet again before the sessions for 2011's
Unholy Cross, where another new singer and bassist were introduced in Patrik J Selleby and Anders Broman, respectively. The fist-pumping
In the Name of Metal was released in 2012, followed by the bombastic fantasy epics
Stormborn (2014), War of Dragons (2017), and Rise of the Dragon Empire (2019); the live package One Night of Blood, documenting their appearance at Masters of Rock MMXV, appeared in 2016.
Bloodbound's ninth studio album, Creatures of the Dark Realm, was released in 2021 and continued their sword and sorcery lyrical themes. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia