Review by Alex on July 18, 2019.

Bones, a band formed and based in the United States of America, carve deeper their signature within the cold surface of Chicago's death metal underbelly. With Diseased being the band's 3rd release, they strive to expand their influence and reach within the underground. Bones on Diseased play a blend of styles that to me, can either prove successful or hazardous to the final output, if not managed correctly. Thus, this glassy form of avant-garde death metal tries to push the bar and boundaries of the genre, which is fine; however, doing such often comes with consequences. The music here is being morphed with different genres in a conspicuous fashion; I say that because the obvious inclusions are presented obtrusively. There’s black metal, sludge metal, death/doom, thrash, crust punk and hardcore. In opposition to hinting, Bones delivers a bare-faced thrust-to-the-gut approach by giving the respected genres abundant spotlight. The risk here is the music can easily divert from pleasure to displeasure, due to so many styles being meshed without warning. On Diseased it’s a bit of both; mixing the genres proved to be enjoyable, but only for so long, as the formula to Bones’ chasm of uncertainty left the death metal aspect a bit underwhelming. The record still stands as a decent unconventional take on the genre but loses adhesion towards the end. 

The first indication Diseased was going to be a worthwhile record, occurred on the opening track, 'Blood, Diarrhea and Tears'. Easily the best entry on the record due to its high efficacy of combining black metal with death metal and crust; and with the aid of some melody, the song showed a fluency in transitions. I was bidding Diseased would be offering more of that, and it did with ‘Mass Graves’ through ‘Stench of the Deceased’ that answered the request with considerably more confidence. However, the strong foundation built by the aforementioned began to erode rapidly, as the composition structures and components used in the development of the material on Diseased crumbled. Like a ball of sand being folded in the palm of a hand, at first, seemingly firm, but begins to gradually lose texture and eventually decompose as the primary components are compromised by natural atmospheric forces and pressure of the squeeze.  

This crumble began with ‘No One Matters’ that tried to move too quickly in fitting multiple styles into a track that was barely over 2 minutes. By doing this, it appeared irredeemably messy; not only ruining the actual death/crust metal, but the other elements forced into the mix. ‘Down’ would try to resuscitate the weakening body of Diseased to which it did do to an extent but would suffer from problems of its own towards the closing moments through a minute of seemingly disorientated filler. ‘Boozer’ appeared to be a blur of random noises which also plagued ‘Crucifer’ despite its commendable hint at early Celtic Frost. 

'The Future is Now' would try to reclaim some of that glory presented on the 1st half of Diseased by revisiting and successfully implementing the more favorable qualities of that period. But again, it would leave an impression of hastiness on the listener, as though scurrying to cover blemishes while putting the finishing touches on an item. Despite being a good record, Diseased produced a sonic friction which resulted from destructive and convalescent forces pushing against each other and would eventually go on to define the album in its final state. I enjoyed the record but wished there had been better music to sustain the momentum built. Diseased will still be a great album to many; I may partially agree; however, the flaws are too noticeable to be ignored. Flawed, but still a good record. 

Rating: 7 out of 10                        

Review by Felix on November 21, 2021.

Some years ago, the editors of the German magazine Rock Hard published their ranking of the best thrash metal albums of all times. Of course, these rankings are always dubious. But be that as it may, the winner was Bonded By Blood. (Second place went - surprise, surprise - to "Reign In Blood".) With regard to this selection, there is not much that can go wrong. No doubt that the debut of Exodus is definitely at least one of the best thrash records in the history of the phenomenal genre. It will remain a reference work for every musician who wants to create thrash compositions which are free from external influences. Even 30 years after its release, Bonded By Blood offers an unconsumed aura of ferocity and malignancy. This aura is inter alia based on the performance of a man who left the band much too soon. I do not want to use superlatives in an inflationary way. But from my point of view, Paul Baloff - rest in peace - had the most malicious voice of all thrash vocalists. He expressed all that is evil. It seemed as if he was constantly in danger of losing his self-control. But in reality, he followed a clear line, at least on the here presented work. Bonded By Blood features the vocals of a man who remains concentrated and his emphasis of the single lines matches perfectly with the atmosphere of each and every sonic frontal assault. Commuting between a cynical approach and sheer aggression, his singing ennobles the superb riffs of the "H-Team", the guitarists Hunolt and Holt. Additionally, the rarely occuring pinpoint background vocals further increase the dynamic of the tunes.

Speaking of the riffs: they sound sharp, rapid and harsh. At the same time, and this is the crucial factor, they were innovative, groundbreaking and irresistible. Back in 1985, the same applied to the whole thrashing genre and I guess this is the decisive reason why all these glorious albums of the mid-eighties will never lose their status. Never ever! They document the omnipresent pioneering spirit of this time. It inspired talented bands like Exodus, Slayer and Possessed - to name only some of the most important - in a very significant manner. But this spirit cannot be preserved for a long time. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the stimulating effect of Bonded By Blood is rarely matched. In my opinion, its nine tracks form the best thrash debut of all times and the album belongs to the most energizing records of the genre. And this energy is evoked by the riffs - and so the cycle closes.

By taking into consideration the compactness of every single song, the whole album has the sustainable effect of a well-considered slap in the face. 'Exodus' (the track) marks the prime example in terms of directness and aggression. Its brutal lyrics are completely stupid; nevertheless, they cannot affect the joy of listening to this straightforward torpedo. Despite its raging violence, it shines with the right amount of catchiness, not only because of its conservative verse-chorus-verse pattern. But 'Exodus' is just the king of kings. The similarly configured tracks, for example 'Piranha' or the final crusher 'Strike Of The Beast', as well as the more interlaced songs such as 'Deliver Us To Evil', can compete with the perfect band anthem. But also the maliciously creeping 'No Love', which speeds up during the homicidal solos, hits the bull's eye. Despite these slightly differentiated song structures, Bonded By Blood possesses a very good flow. Furthermore, it fascinates with its homogeneity. But it goes without saying that the homogeneous overall impression constitutes only one of the many advantages of this milestone. In particular due to the excellent sound of the guitars, the perfect production is no less important. Finally, the great number of divine moments - for instance, listen to the fast-paced chorus of 'Deliver Us To Evil' which contrasts with the other parts of the song in an outstanding manner - puts the album in a class of its own. During the last three decades, its liveliness has not faded. Due to this situation, it does not matter that the lyrical content is either naive ("fists are in the air, banging everywhere") or sick ("we rape and murder your wife").

Well, from my point of view, the comparatively lame "Master Of Puppets" does not fall under the thrash category. But some might say that Metallica's first two full-lengths are the most important thrash albums of all times. I disagree. Quite apart from my personal favorite "Hell Awaits", I think that the blood brothers Bonded By Blood and "Reign In Blood" had the greatest influence on the worldwide scene. While Slayer's third full-length glitters with sheer aggression, the neckbreaking debut of Exodus kills with style. To sum up, its weapons are the cruel yet memorable melodies which are formed by the sensational riffs, the howling guitars (especially during the fantastic solos), the nifty tempo variations and, of course, Baloff's performance. It is therefore a matter of personal taste which one you prefer. I am undecided.

Rating: 10 out of 10