In 1987 the band released their most successful album, Detonation. Now with two high charting albums and many requests for live performances, Bloodgood hit the road for their first major tour. It was a tour that almost proved to be their last and caused the band members to grow closer to the Lord and each other. The tour was filled with dates that were badly promoted, staged, or in many cases, the venues didn't exist at all when the band rolled in. Most dates they were asked to accept less money than was agreed upon, and making it from one city to the next was a financial struggle. Still, they saw the fruits of their ministry as many hard core unsaved teens came to know the Lord. And, the band built a reputation as one of the best performing bands in Christian music.
Discouraged by the financial losses, but encouraged by their success in ministry, the band returned to their homes in Seattle to evaluate and plan for the future. It was there that they met producer Terry Shelton, who along with the band, decided that a new musical direction should be pursued. The project, Rock In A Hard Place, spanned the musical spectrum of the metalish Do Or Die, the arena rock sound of Never Be The Same and experimental Seven. While sales weren't as brisk as Detonation, the band found more profitable success in their mini tour for the album as they avoided many of the pitfalls they had experienced during the Detonation tour. Mark Welling left the band after the tour and was temporarily replaced by Kevin Whistler.
Before the recording of their next album, a major change occurred in the band's line up. Guitarist David Zaffiro left to become a full time father to his newly born second child and work as an independent producer. As an important part of their visual presentation and signature sound, David would not be easily replaced. Session guitarist Paul Jackson was hired to work on their next release Out Of The Darkness. This album saw a return to the higher energy arena rock/metal sound and produced hits like Top Of The Mountain and Out Of The Darkness. Shortly after the release of this album, the band embarked on their most ambitious project to date – live videos and albums, an attempt to capture the magic and emotion of a Bloodgood live performance.
Even with all the struggles and disappointments, Bloodgood has left its mark on the young Christian metal industry. Every promoter, radio station, store owner or fan who has had contact with the band has found them to be genuine ministers and committed Christians. Many of the newer metal bands looked to Michael, Les and David as examples on how to conduct a viable and effective metal ministry.
(Above taken from the liner notes of Bloodgood's 1991 Intense Records release: The Collection)
Bloodgood went on to record All Stand Together in 1991 and toured Russia and Germany. The band's third live album, To Germany With Love, was recorded on their 1993 tour of Germany. Bloodgood broke up in 1994.
After a false start in early 2002, Bloodgood reunited in late 2006, bringing previous Bloodgood drummer Mark Welling back into the fold, and adding Stryper guitarist Oz Fox to the lineup.
Out Of Love
Bloodgood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out of compasion
When I was reading in the book of light
This touched my soul, I stayed awake all night
The written Word was in my thoughts
The truth I heard opened up my heart
And as you bled, hell got hotter
And as I read my emotions were shattered
As I envisioned your body battered
Out of love
Out of compasion
You turned Your light on me
To end my misery
Out of love
Out of compasion
I found I needed you
No one else will do
When I was walking in the valley of the shadow
It was cold, it was a battle
Word on the street was the code to live by
But now I know it was the way to die
You were led like a lamb to slaughter
And as you bled hell got hotter
Bloodgood's song "Out of Love" describes the transformative power of love and compassion. The lyrics talk about the impact of the "book of light" on the singer's soul, which "opened up [their] heart." The song also refers to the biblical story of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, where he was "led like a lamb to slaughter," and how his death led to the salvation of humanity. The singer's emotions are shattered as they imagine the physical pain and suffering that Jesus endured on the cross.
The lyrics also touch upon the idea that before the realization of the truth, the singer was walking in the "valley of the shadow." But through the power of love and compassion, they were able to find a new way of living. The song suggests that this new way of living involves a personal relationship with Jesus, where "no one else will do." The repetition of "out of love" and "out of compassion" in the chorus emphasizes the transformative power of these emotions.
Overall, "Out of Love" is a song about finding hope and meaning in life through the transformative power of love and compassion. It suggests that having a personal connection with a higher power can bring comfort and fulfillment to those who are lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Out of love
The motivation behind their actions was love
Out of compassion
They acted out of empathy for others
When I was reading in the book of light
During a moment of reflection or studying, they had a spiritual experience
This touched my soul, I stayed awake all night
The experience had a profound impact on their emotional state and led to sleeplessness
The written Word was in my thoughts
Their mind was focused on scripture or some other religious text
The truth I heard opened up my heart
They had a spiritual awakening that allowed them to access and express emotions they previously could not
You were lead like a lamb to slaughter
This line references the biblical story of Jesus Christ's crucifixion
And as you bled, hell got hotter
Belief in the story of Christ and the symbolism of his death had a profound impact on their spiritual beliefs and emotions
And as I read my emotions were shattered
The experience of reading about the story of Christ caused extreme emotional turmoil
As I envisioned your body battered
The vividness of the religious story they were reflecting on made it seem as though they were there witnessing the event
You turned Your light on me
The author is referencing divine intervention in their personal life
To end my misery
The intervention helped them escape or overcome a difficult personal situation
I found I needed you
The spiritual awakening led to a realization of their dependence on a divine being
No one else will do
The author recognizes that their needs can only be fulfilled by divine intervention and not by any other human or earthly force
When I was walking in the valley of the shadow
The author was going through a difficult, dark time in their life
It was cold, it was a battle
The experience was difficult and emotionally challenging
Word on the street was the code to live by
The beliefs of the general public were not in line with the author's, causing them to feel confused or isolated
But now I know it was the way to die
The author has had a spiritual awakening, realizing that their previous beliefs were misguided and that they must die metaphorically in order to be reborn with new beliefs
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