Bonded By Blood was the debut album by Exodus back in 1985, and is still considered to be one of the best thrash metal albums of all time. Vocalist Paul Baloff, guitarists Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt, bassist Rob McKillop and drummer Tom Hunting influenced countless bands with this masterpiece. 　　Over two decades later Baloff has passed away and Hunolt and McKillop are no longer with the band. Hunting recently rejoined the group, and of course Holt has been the mainstay of Exodus since the beginning. In 2008 Exodus decided to remake their debut, call it Let There Be Blood, and release it on their own label, Zaentz Records. 　　Giving the album modern production values is one of the main reasons Holt cited for redoing Bonded By Blood. On that level, the album is a success. The songs on Let There Be Blood sound great. Andy Sneap's mix gives each track the punch and power it deserves, and these songs stand up remarkably well. Holt and Lee Altus' riffs and solos drive the album, and the rhythm section provides a solid foundation. 　　The vocals were the biggest questions coming in. Paul Baloff had a very distinctive style that helped define Bonded By Blood. Exodus' current vocalist Rob Dukes doesn't try to imitate Baloff on Let There Be Blood, he delivers the vocals in his own style, which was the right way to go. 　　I'm not sure Bonded By Blood needed to be remade. A remastered version of the original may have sufficed. But Exodus did decide to re-record the album, and Let There Be Blood is a worthy tribute to the original. 　　(released October 28, 2008 on Zaentz Records)