BLOODBOUND – Creatures Of The Dark Realm

Swedish Power Metal veterans Bloodbound have released their 9th full length album Creatures of The Dark Realm, on AFM records, and fans won’t be disappointed. Active since 2004, the band has had a whirlwind of output and keeps developing and improving on their style and sound. The lineup hasn’t changed in 10+ years, and it shows in their tightness, as well as the maturity of the song writing. Vocalist Patrik J. Selleby (Shadowquest, ex-Dawn of Silence) is joined by Tomas Olsson (ex-Street Talk) and Henrik Olsson on guitars, with Anders Broman on the bass, Fredrik Bergh (ex-Forceline, ex-Street Talk) on keyboards and Daniel Sjögren (Follow the Cipher, ex-Mandrake) on the drums.

About the Album

Creatures of The Dark Realm was produced by the band, so you know you get the songs they way the band wanted. The songwriting team of keyboardist Fredrik Bergh, guitarist Tomas Olsson and vocalist Patrik Selleby started from scratch, compiling song ideas they collected individually and delivering 11 solid in-your-face tracks kicked off by a deceptive acoustic intro that sets the mood for the whole album. Keyboardist Fredrik Bergh adds: “We have a few songs that didn’t make it onto the album because we want to have songs that really stick out, (songs) that have some qualities that make it interesting and fresh. But, we are in a specific genre of metal, so we can’t make a completely new style of music and call it Bloodbound. It can be tricky trying to not to repeat ourselves, but I think we succeeded in doing that on the new album.”

Final Notes

Patrik J. Selleby has a fantastic voice, and the production on the album is great. The songs all have memorable hooks, while the parts are all played with expert precision. The guitar solos are all very slick and cool, while the rhythm section kicks ass. This is a very strong release that inspires multiple listenings, and if a band can accomplish that, they have done their job well. Bloodborn fans will love it, and Power Metal fans should add it to their collection.

Lineup

Patrik J. Selleby – Vocals
Tomas Olsson – Guitars
Henrik Olsson – Guitars
Anders Broman – Bass
Fredrik Bergh – Keyboards
Daniel Sjögren – Drums

Creatures Of The Dark Realm – Tracklist

1. The Creatures Preludium
2. Creatures Of The Dark Realm
3. When Fate Is Calling
4. Ever Burning Flame
5. Eyes Come Alive
6. Death Will Lead The Way
7. Gathering Of Souls
8. Kill Or Be Killed
9. The Gargoyles Gate
10. March Into War
11. Face Of Evil
12. The Wicked And The Weak