Band:	Bloodbound
Album:	Tabula Rasa
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	April 2009

01. Sweet Dreams Of Madness
02. Dominion 5
03. Take One
04. Tabula Rasa
05. Night Touches You
06. Tabula Rasa Pt.II (Nothing At All)
07. Plague Doctor
08. Master Of My Dreams
09. Twisted Kind Of Fate
10. All Rights Reserved
+ A Year With Bloodbound [video] [limited digipack bonus]

Bloodbound? I managed to miss their first two albums, even though they created quite a stir in the heavy metal scene, being one good, 'up-and-coming' band. And here we are now with their third album Tabula Rasa, which also marks the return of their original vocalist Urban Breed (also Tad Morose and Pyramaze).

Tabula Rasa means 'blank slate' in latin, as in 'erase the past and start anew'. Did the band started again from scratch, then? Well, as you can imagine I can't really compare, so I'll just concentrate on describing briefly the music. It's heavy/power metal, for sure (the drumming patterns are quite a tell-tale sign), always melodic, very catchy and also aggressive at times, kinda like Brainstorm if you want a vague comparison. But that's not all. Some harsh riffs or rythmics (and a few melodies too) are clearly reminiscent of the Gothenburg scene (check "Master Of My Dreams"), and one could also find a similarity with Masterplan on the quieter parts.
Most of the songs are catchy and up-tempo anthems, "Sweet Dreams Of Madness", "Dominion 5" and "Take One" being the best examples without a doubt. Of course there's also the mandatory power ballad, and it's called "Night Touches You". It's not bad actually, seeing how this kind of stuff usually bores me to tears, and well it wasn't the case this time.

All songs are played flawlessly, the guitar work is great, the solos are good, not overly-demonstrative, and they fit really well in the songs. And, it's Urban Breed on vocals. No wonder this guy is praised for his performances, his singing is pretty flawless. Aggressive, quiet, emotional, he can do it, and then some! A special mention is needed for the keyboards too, always discreet, never overbearing or cheesy.

Sure, it's nigh-impossible to be original in this style now. But, a quality album deserves to be recognized as such in any case. And this Tabula Rasa is one, no doubts about it. With good songwriting, great performance and a clear but warm production, it is definitely worth checking out!