BLOODSTREAM PARADE

“The struggle is the glory.” A statement never more true than in the case of the five members of the Chicago-based heavy metal collective, BLOODSTREAM PARADE. The band has followed a winding, vacillating seldom traveled road since its basic initial inception in 1995 when drummer, Shawn Johnson and Guitarist, Ryan Buck decided that they’d rule the world with a unique brand of metal seldom or not seen at that time. Their armament? A band called Inspiteofyou.

Needless to say that the whole world domination bit did not come to fruition exactly (nor, in retrospect would they have wanted it to – too much maintenance; leaving little or no time to rock) and there have been many anomalous, shocking, thrilling and lamentable moments that have brought these two friends to the year 2010. Rather than take up the space equivalent to Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” outlining a near twelve year play by play of the evolution and eventual creation of BLOODSTREAM PARADE this is a band that chooses to look forward, whilst building on valued experiences carved and scraped from the halls of heavy metaldom along the way.

The initial compulsion to create something different and distinct within the framework of true heavy metal that drove earlier successes for these lads is still very much the guiding light that leads the way for BLOODSTREAM PARADE today. BLOODSTREAM PARADE as it is currently known was in true essence unleashed in 2004 and almost instantly created a profound name for themselves in both the live circuit and with their independently released recording, “War is the Answer”, recorded at Studio One with famed producer/engineer Chris Wisco. Particularly, BLOODSTREAM PARADE consistently brought a powerful and pummeling live show, securing opening slots for national acts such as Sworn Enemy, A Life Once Lost, Full Blown Chaos, Otep and the almighty Anthrax and set out to reduce all in attendance to absolute dust; or at the very least compelling them to say “Wow, I feel as though I have experienced a life-altering performance.”

With the inevitable coming of some auspicious personnel changes, in mid-2007 the band took a rare opportunity to recharge, refresh and continue to hone in on what makes them unique both musically and visually and welcomed new “blood” (pun intended) to the fold. With the addition of the ultra-charismatic Tim Dumpiere on guitar and the inspired madness of Tony Greinke (ex-Down Lo, Concussion) on lead vocals joining the existing ranks of Shawn Johnson on drums, Ryan Buck supplying guitar/vocals and Wolf (ex-Withdrawal, Deacon, Inspiteofyou) on bass, BLOODSTREAM PARADE have been successfully creating new material inspired by the fervor of their impetuous youth. Focusing on writing engaging, aggressive and remarkable music coupled with lyrical content that borders more on the psychological and the esthetically metaphorical than the typical angst or anger-ridden prose of your standard metal band, the band recorded a three song EP entitled “The Grey Area” which caught the attention of Chicago-based label Dark Star Records. BLOODSTREAM PARADE signed with Dark Star Records in September of 2008 and immediately got to work on their first full-length album.

The product of many sleepless nights, scores of empty beer bottles, a few hurt feelings, a broken finger, recurring intestinal discord and some slight mental scarring is BLOODSTREAM PARADE’S second full-length album The Apocalypse: In Retrospect. Released in October, 2009 this is a pure heavy metal record, plain and simple. Featuring unique and lasting artwork, intelligent writing, a surprising Beastie Boys cover and backing vocals by Dave Matrise of Jungle Rot, The Apocalypse: In Retrospect is a beautiful nod to the old-school whilst maintaining and improving upon what makes this band unique. This album is heavy, catchy and harmful if swallowed.

Consistently, live shows have yielded a flurry of praise and even a few injuries to the band members to boot, all indicating that the flow of this stream has not abated a bit, but rather has intensified into a discernable force in Chicago’s illustrious heavy metal scene. Recent shows with metal heavyweights such as Obituary, Unleashed, Lazarus, Sabbat, Cannibal Corpse, Hate Eternal, Unearth and Hatebreed only confirm that these gents can hold a place among the ranks of the proud and brave, never forgetting where they come from and who helped them get there.