Bonded

Brutal times demand brutal music. BONDED are back to bring the hammer down again.

The last 18 months have been frustrating and dark for all of us, but Germany’s gnarliest modern thrash band were never designed to sit in the shadows, waiting. Formed in 2018 by former long-time Sodom members Bernd “Bernemann” Kost (Guitars) and Markus “Makka” Freiwald (Drums), BONDED made an immediate and devastating impact with their crushing debut album, Rest In Violence. Released at the beginning of 2020, it was a finely-honed and ferocious dose of balls-out extreme metal, with hooks galore and more groove than a vinyl pressing factory. 

As guitarist and founder Bernemann explains, the pandemic may have forced everyone to pause their plans, but BONDED’s momentum was not to be denied. 

“Just a few days after the release show for Rest In Violence, we had to stop the promotion just before it began,” he says. “The lockdown was a tragedy for the whole scene and every musician, but fortunately we don’t depend financially on BONDED and we could keep on working in our regular jobs. The positive thing was that we had more than enough time to prepare the next album and we really used that time!“ 

Explosive, murderous and noticeably faster and heavier than its predecessor, the second BONDED album is exactly the violent wake-up call that we all need after months of involuntary inertia. Entitled Into Blackness, it lives up to its ominous title with venomous abandon. From the face-removing attack of opener “Watch (While The World Burns)” and the scabrous, lupine barrage of “The Holy Whore”, to the anthemic bombast of Into The Blackness Of A Wartime Night to the visceral gloom of the closing “The Eyes Of Madness”, BONDED - instrumentally completed by guitarist Chris Tsitsis (ex-Suicidal Angels) and bassist Marc Hauschild - have stuck militantly to their pure metal instincts, while expanding and embellishing their sound with multiple new gleaming weapons of war. 

“We wanted to continue exactly where we stopped with Rest In Violence”, says Bernemann about the album, which was once again produced by Cornelius “Corny” Rambadt at Rambado Recordings (Sodom, Disbelief, Onkel Tom). “There are no big surprises stylistically, but we believe that the new album is still a big step forward. Together with our producer Corny we fine-tuned the sound of the debut for a really heavy final result. Musically, it’s a little faster and harder but still with lots of melodies and great hook lines, combined with neck-breaking brutal parts, of course. It’s 100% BONDED style!” 

Mirroring the dastardly depths of their new music, BONDED have infused the new record with more conceptual conceits. The album’s four-song centrepiece was inspired by author Richard Rhys Jones’ book The Division Of The Damned, “A fictional story of a division of German soldiers at the end of World War II and an ancient, mysterious count in the east of Europe, who offers a brand-new weapon, a new solution to win the war: a day-walking vampire-breed!”, explains vocalist Ingo Bajonczak (also active in Assassin). A suitably grim and gritty narrative for BONDED to honour and bring to bloody life. 

One listen to Into Blackness, which features conceptually suitable artwork once more created by Björn Gooßes / Killustrations (Aborted, The Crown, Carnal Forge), will convince the world that BONDED are armed and ready to teach the world a new lesson in sonic violence. This is monstrous, muscular thrash for the age of no reason. This is BONDED. Be ready or get flattened. 

“Like any other band we’re waiting to play live again as soon as possible,” states Bernemann. “After this long period of abstinence, we’re hungry to get out, meet the fans and finally feel like a real band again. We love what we’re doing and we can’t wait to celebrate the first gig together with the fans. A BONDED show is authentic thrash metal and you can expect to see a band that’s always willing to give 100%”.