Bloodbound

Bollnäs, Sweden's Bloodbound was 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, to the detriment of the material within. 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 combo was introduced in Patrik "Pata" Johansson and Anders Broman, respectively. But despite all of these personnel upheavals, at least Bloodbound's music has remained constant throughout, never straying very far from a traditional heavy metal base with power metal accouterments.