Their debut album Nosferatu received attention from numerous magazines and websites, and has gained many positive reviews. Following this, Bloodbound played several shows in their home country, Sweden, and with well known metal bands such as Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity, Evergrey, and HammerFall.
In 2006, the follow up to their debut was released - "Book of the Dead" followed a simular direction as Nosferatu did, but featured a new member, Michael Bormann on vocals, originally the singer of Jaded Heart.
Urban Breed, the singer of Bloodbound, left briefly in 2006 to be replaced by Michael but Urban Breed recently replaced him once again. Now, the band is working on their third album, which is due to be released in September 2008.
Despite the band's apparent black metal image (the band members have worn make-up in the "corpse paint" style in the promotional photos on their albums and Web site, and during some live shows), Bloodbound's music does not fit into the black metal category. Instead, it is more similar in style to power metal bands such as Helloween and Iron Maiden, although the lyrics sometimes approach darker subjects.
In 2009 the band signed a worldwide deal with the label Blistering Records, for their third album release titled Tabula Rasa. The album was set for release on April 26, 2009.
Tabula Rasa
Bloodbound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lie to myself and sometimes tell me I am free
To connect the dots, to make a sine, to make it mine
Connect the dots, my friend
Step right out of line
Why chase a dream that's never there?
Why chase a dream that's everywhere?
Tabula Rasa
You gotta let me know
Tabula Rasa
Tell me what and who we're fightin'
Tabula Rasa
You gotta let me know
Tabula Rasa
What I am and who I was before
With every reason, there's two more to withhold
To prove beyond a doubt this lonely heart is cold
Extensive mining of the mind should take its toll
Corrective surgery to fingerprint your soul
Who wants a second chance to live
If there's a second chance to give?
In Bloodbound's "Tabula Rasa," the lyrics suggest a need to start over, to reset oneself to a "blank slate." The first few lines talk about how the singer is trying to clean up their own internal mess, reaching deep inside themselves in a self-deceiving attempt to convince themselves of their own freedom. The following lines are somewhat contradictory, or at least present opposing viewpoints. The singer asks why they should bother chasing a dream if it's never there, but also why chase it if it's everywhere? Perhaps this is meant to highlight the struggle and confusion of the human condition, and the frustration that comes with trying to find one's way.
The chorus brings in the repeated refrain of "Tabula Rasa," which can be interpreted as a plea for something new or a reset, like hitting a reset button on life itself. The repetition seems to underscore the need the singer has to figure out what they're fighting for and who they are, suggesting that they feel lost and purposeless. Later in the song, the singer talks about the difficulty of opening oneself up to change and the challenge of breaking away from the past. However, the lyrics end on a note of hope - the idea that a second chance could be given or received, even though it may not always seem like it's worth it.
Overall, "Tabula Rasa" seems to be touching on themes of self-exploration, the pursuit of purpose or meaning, and the potential for new opportunities even in the midst of feeling lost or stuck.
Line by Line Meaning
I reach so deep inside the shambles that is me
I search deeply within my broken self
Lie to myself and sometimes tell me I am free
I deceive myself into thinking I'm liberated
To connect the dots, to make a sine, to make it mine
To find patterns and make them my own
Connect the dots, my friend, Step right out of line
Find patterns and break away from conformity
Why chase a dream that's never there?
Why pursue an unattainable dream?
Why chase a dream that's everywhere?
Why pursue a dream that's too common?
Tabula Rasa, You gotta let me know
Blank slate, reveal to me
Tell me what and who we're fightin', Tabula Rasa
Inform me of our cause, Blank Slate
Tabula Rasa, You gotta let me know
Blank Slate, reveal to me
What I am and who I was before, Tabula Rasa
Who I was and am, Blank Slate
With every reason, there's two more to withhold
For every explanation, two more are hidden
To prove beyond a doubt this lonely heart is cold
To confirm the deep emptiness in my heart
Extensive mining of the mind should take its toll
Pondering deeply should have an impact
Corrective surgery to fingerprint your soul
Fixing your soul's unique identity
Who wants a second chance to live
Who desires another opportunity to exist?
If there's a second chance to give?
If there's another opportunity to give?
Contributed by Elena T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.