EXODUS - BONDED BY BLOOD DEBUT Music For Nations 12" Vinyl LP Album

"Bonded By Blood," the explosive debut and first full-length album by American Thrash Metal juggernaut Exodus, unleashes its sonic fury on a 12" Vinyl LP Album. Released under Music For Nations, this 1985 album is a seminal work that solidifies Exodus as a powerhouse in the thrash metal genre. With relentless speed and aggressive riffing, "Bonded By Blood" stands as a timeless classic, marking the beginning of Exodus' influential journey in the realm of thrash metal.

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Collectors information / Album Description:

Exodus' debut album, "Bonded by Blood", released in 1985 on Music for Nations, is widely regarded as one of the greatest thrash metal albums of all time. The album was recorded in just two weeks and features fast, aggressive riffs, powerful drumming, and harsh vocals.

Exodus was formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1980, and quickly became a key player in the emerging thrash metal scene. The band's early lineup included guitarist Kirk Hammett, who would later join Metallica. "Bonded by Blood" was the band's debut album, and was recorded in 1984 at Prairie Sun Recording Studios in Cotati, California.

The album was originally intended to be released in 1984, but was delayed due to a dispute with their record label, Torrid Records. The band eventually signed with Music for Nations and the album was released in 1985. Although "Bonded by Blood" did not achieve commercial success at the time of its release, it has since become a classic of the thrash metal genre.

"Bonded by Blood" features nine tracks, with a total running time of just over 35 minutes. The album is characterized by fast, aggressive riffs, powerful drumming, and harsh, shouted vocals. The guitar work of Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt is particularly impressive, with their lightning-fast solos and intricate harmonies creating a wall of sound that is both powerful and complex. The rhythm section, featuring bassist Rob McKillop and drummer Tom Hunting, provides a solid foundation for the music, driving the songs forward with relentless intensity.

"Bonded by Blood" is widely regarded as one of the greatest thrash metal albums of all time, and has been hugely influential on the genre. The album's fast, aggressive style, combined with its dark and violent lyrics, helped to define the thrash metal sound and set the template for countless bands to follow. Exodus' influence can be heard in the music of many other thrash metal bands, including Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth.

This original album cover art was an illustration of good and evil co-joined twin infants.

This album "Bonded By Blood" is the debut/first full-length album by the American Thrash Metal band "Exodus"

Music Genre:

American Crossover Thrash Metal

Album Production information:

The album: "EXODUS Bonded By Blood" was produced by: Ken Adams and Todd Gordon

Ken Adams ( Producer ) has produced albums for the Heavy Metal bands: "Gothic Slam", Exodus, Tension, Hades, "Mucky Pop" and was co-owner/founder of "Torrid Records ( together with Todd Gordon ).

Todd Gordon ( Producer ) has been (Executive) producer of several Heavy Metal albums and worked with "Daniel Lorenzo (Hades)" for the album's artwork and design. He was co-founder/owner of Torrid Records ,Scarsdale, New York ( Together with Ken Adams ).

Sound/Recording Engineer(s): John Volaitin

This album was recorded July 1984 at: Prairie Sun Recording Studios

Prairie Sun Recording Studios, located in Cotati, California, has been a pivotal force in rock and metal music, shaping legendary albums with its world-class facilities and expert engineering. Hosting iconic bands from the 1980s onward, it remains a creative hub for artists seeking top-tier sound production. Explore its history and album gallery here.

Sound engineers: Gordon "The Triple Threat" Lyons, John Volaitis, Robin Yeager, Mark Withaker

Mastered at Fantasy Studios by George Horn

George Horn – Chief Mastering Engineer

If you ever trusted a deadwax whisper more than a press release, chances are his hands were on the last mile. Read more...

George Horn is the Bay Area's quiet mad scientist of lacquer, a Chief Mastering Engineer who kept Fantasy Studios (Berkeley) and CBS Studios (San Francisco) sounding expensive without turning everything into plastic. I follow his trail from 1971 at Columbia/CBS (Coast Recorders), to Kendun Recorders in 1978, then the long Fantasy run from 1980 into the 2000s. In the Tom Hidley-designed mastering room built in the late 1970s, he cut and remastered a ridiculous spread: Charles Mingus and other jazz giants, plus rock lifers like Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Grateful Dead and Santana. In 2008 he opened his own Berkeley mastering room, still chasing clarity like it owed him money.

George Horn Wiki

Sound mixed at Tres Virgos Studios

Donald J. Munz - Album Artwork

Richard A. Ferraro - Album Artwork

Record Label & Catalognr:

Music For Nations RR 9787

Media Format:

12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram

Year & Country:

1985 Made in Holland

Band Members and Musicians on: EXODUS Bonded By Blood

Paul Baloff - vocals
Gary Holt - guitars
Rick Hunolt - guitars
Rob McKillop - bass
Tom Hunting - drums
Andy 'Airborne' Anderson, Lonnie Hunolt, T. Rage - Backing vocals
Kirk Hammett - Song-writing
Kirk Hammett left Exodus (1979-1983) to join Metallica before the recording of "Bonded by Blood," and was replaced by Rick Hunolt, who played guitar on the album. While Hammett did contribute to the songwriting on some of the tracks on the album, he is not credited on the final release due to legal disputes with his new label, Metallica's Elektra Records, which prevented him from being named in the credits. Despite this, Hammett's contributions to the development of the band and the album are widely acknowledged and recognized by fans and music historians.

Complete Track Listing of: "EXODUS Bonded By Blood"

The Songs/tracks on "EXODUS Bonded By Blood" are

Bonded by Blood - 3:48
Exodus - 4:09
And Then There Were None - 4:44
A Lesson in Violence - 3:49
Metal Command - 4:16
Piranha - 3:50
No Love - 5:11
Deliver Us to Evil - 7:11
Strike of the Beast - 3:56

Album Cover Photo Gallery of: EXODUS Bonded By Blood

Album cover of Exodus's 'Bonded by Blood' showing two conjoined infants, one with a demonic appearance featuring pointy ears, sharp teeth, and long nails, while the other appears innocent. The title is written in red Gothic font, with the band's name in jagged red and white letters at the top. The background is a soft blue, contrasting with the intense and unsettling imagery. — The image of the two babies on the *Bonded by Blood* album cover symbolises duality, a clash between innocence and darkness—an apt visual metaphor for the aggressive, rebellious nature of thrash metal. The child with pointed ears, sharp nails, and a ferocious expression embodies chaos, violence, and primal instincts. This representation aligns with the themes of thrash metal, which often explore darker elements of society and human nature, rejecting conventional norms and confronting uncomfortable truths.

The pointed ears and nails give this child a demonic or feral look, symbolising a departure from innocence and a descent into savagery. The album title, *Bonded by Blood*, further reinforces this concept, suggesting a strong, almost blood-bound connection between purity and corruption, or light and darkness. Thrash metal, especially in the 1980s, often drew upon themes of confrontation, rebellion, and raw emotion, all of which are encapsulated in this striking contrast between the two children. This imagery aligns Exodus with the unfiltered energy of thrash metal and conveys a raw intensity that mirrors their sound and lyrical themes.

Back Cover Photo of "EXODUS Bonded By Blood" Album

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Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual album. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera's flash.

Index of EXODUS ( USA ) Vinyl Album Discography and Album Cover Gallery

EXODUS - Bonded By Blood (1985, France & Netherlands)

EXODUS - Bonded By Blood (1985, France) album front cover vinyl record

Music For Nations – MFN 44 , 1985 , France

Released in 1985, "Bonded By Blood" marked the explosive debut of American thrash metal band Exodus. This 12" vinyl LP album, initially released in France, became a seminal work in the genre, solidifying Exodus' place among the pioneers of thrash metal.

Bonded By Blood (1985, France) 12" Vinyl LP Bonded By Blood (1985, Netherlands) 12" Vinyl LP

EXODUS - Fabulous Disaster (1988, New Musidisc, France) album front cover vinyl record

EXODUS - Fabulous Disaster ( New Musidisc and MFN Releases)

In the smoldering ashes of the 80s, as hair metal's mascara ran and glam's glitter faded, a beast emerged from the Bay Area, snarling and spitting fire. Exodus, already veterans in the burgeoning thrash scene, unleashed "Fabulous Disaster" upon a world teetering on the edge of cultural upheaval.

- Fabulous Disaster (1988, New Musidisc, France) 12" Vinyl LP - Fabulous Disaster (1988, MFN France) 12" Vinyl LP

EXODUS - Pleasures of the Flesh (1987, England)

Music For Nations MFN 77 , 1987 , England

The mid-1980s witnessed a thrash metal explosion, with bands like Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth leading the charge. Exodus, hailing from the Bay Area, found themselves at the epicenter of this sonic revolution. "Pleasures of the Flesh" was their second studio album

Pleasures of the Flesh (1987, England) 12" Vinyl LP