Concert Review: Warbringer and Bonded By Blood Invade Pomona (8/31/24)

New Wave Thrash Metal bands Warbringer and Bonded by Blood invaded The Glass House in Pomona, CA on Saturday August 31st. The night started with Gaunlet opening the show and setting the tone for the night. Their sound has a very New Wave Thrash style with tight rhythm sections and fast paced guitar solos that pumped the crowd up. Next up was Blistering Rot starting their set with some blast beats and catchy guitar riffs following it with brutal vocals. They brought a different feel to this show line up.

Intranced was the third band to play and if you know anything about James Paul Luna and the bands he has been in, he doesn't disappoint. This is one band to keep an eye out for if you are into NWOBHM. Their set gave you an 80's Heavy Metal vibe with the Adrian Smith type of guitar solos, the tight rhythm section, and the theatrical singing.

The second to last band to hit the stage was hometown heroes, Bonded By Blood. Jose Barrales is one to always bring it to the stage with his unique stage presence. Bonded By Blood mixed it up with the set playing some hits from their debut Feed the Beast such as 'Immortal Life' and 'Mind Pollution' while also playing songs off their second release Exiled To Earth. What was cool about this set is that they gave us a taste of new music debuting the song 'Ancestros.' Jose mentioned Lead Guitarist Jadran "Conan" Gonzalez who is also in Exmortus wrote the track and more new material is due to be released in 2025. It is always cool to watch them play their hometown, they always bring so much energy and keep the crowd going. It is insane to look around and everyone knows all their songs word for word.

Last up was the amazing Warbringer. This is one band that always brings it when performing on stage. John Kevill keeps the crowd hyped up by motioning them to pit with his finger. They started their set with 'Fire Power Kills.' The crowd went insane causing the whole floor to be a pit. They kept the momentum up with playing 'The Black Hand Reaches Out.' For anyone who has followed this band's career knows John Kevill's screams are electrifying, while Carlos Cruz's drumming keeps the crowd circle pitting. I have been watching this band since 2007 and they still have that same energy from then. Playing total classics like 'Total War' and 'Living in a Whirlwind.' This definitely transported me back to the New Thrash Wave scene in 2007. Definitely not a band to snooze on!