On the heels of the release of their fourth full-length, Sons of the Abandoned, we gave Spanish melodic death metal quintet Bloodhunter the opportunity to take us track-by-track through their new album, which was issued by ROAR (a division of Reigning Phoenix Music) on June 12. The fivesome—Diva Satanica (vocals), Dani Arcos (guitar), Guillermo Starless (guitar), Fabian Tejeda (bass), Adrian Perales (drums)—together since 2008, offered this summation of the album as a whole and then went on to talk about each track individually.
“Overall, Sons of the Abandoned feels like one of the most complete and honest albums we have made so far. It combines the speed, aggression, and melodic guitar work that define Bloodhunter with new textures, stronger dynamics, and a wider emotional range.
“Across the album, we move from direct and intense songs to more complex arrangements, including a fully acoustic instrumental piece and even a bonus tribute to Annihilator. Lyrically, the record explores themes such as life on the road, identity, toxic environments, generational disconnection and the feeling of being lost in a world driven by individuality and superficial values.”
“The Devil’s Own”
The first track of the album goes straight to the point. It was the first single we released from Sons of the Abandoned, and the reaction was really positive from the start. Musically, it shows a slightly more direct and accessible side of the band, while still keeping the speed, aggression and melodic guitar work that define our style.
This is the first time in my career that I’ve approached lyrics from a personal, first-person perspective rather than hiding behind the symbolism and metaphors of occultism. The song deals with life on the road: the cities, the distance, the exhaustion, and the contrast between what people see from the outside and what is really behind it. At the same time, the song also carries a sense of strength, connection and belonging, especially through the energy shared with the audience.
It is also the first Bloodhunter song to feature keyboards. Interestingly, the chorus had actually been written years earlier, even before our second album, The End of Faith, was released in 2017. At the time, only Dani was convinced by the idea, as the rest of us felt it sounded too melodic for the band. However, once we began working on the vocal pre-production, the song took on a completely new dimension and eventually became one of our favorite tracks on the album.
“The Outspoken”
This one started almost like a rhythmic puzzle, built around shifting patterns of 3+2, 2+3, 3+3 and 2+2, but it eventually evolved into one of the most melodic songs on the album. Lyrically, it speaks about standing your ground when others are waiting for you to fail, and about staying true to your values in the face of frustration, judgement and selfishness.
The guitar solo is one of the song’s most special moments for us. Instead of following the classic “one guitarist solos, then the other responds” approach, we exchanged short phrases between both guitars, almost like a conversation. It was a very different way of writing a solo section, and it gave the track a unique personality.
“Threshold of Hell”
This will probably become one of the standout tracks for many listeners, as it brings together several different sides of the album: groove, aggression, atmosphere, a deeply dramatic guitar solo, and the collaboration of Fernando Ribeiro from Moonspell, whose presence adds a completely different weight to the song.
Lyrically, it serves as a warning about the direction humanity seems to be heading. The song addresses themes such as war, power, fear, social control, and the way people are pushed into silence while those in power continue feeding the same destructive cycle. It is far from a heroic war anthem; quite the opposite. There is no glory here, only greed, manipulation and collapse.
We also experimented extensively with sounds on this track. Some of the effects were recorded at home using a cooking pot filled with metal cutlery—inspired by the classic effect in “Metal Gods” by Judas Priest—which gave the song a raw, almost ritualistic texture.
“Ephemeral Youth”
This is probably the fastest song on the album, and definitely the one with the most demanding riffs to play. Fast, direct and relentless, it is the kind of track that will make us sweat on stage night after night.
Lyrically, the song deals with identity, the passing of time, and the pressure to become what others expect from you. At its core, “Ephemeral Youth” is about remaining true to yourself before time, fear, or outside judgement cloud your vision and make you lose who you really are.
“Sons of the Abandoned”
This could well be the most important song on the album. Musically, it was deliberately built around very classic metal riffs, while the real contrast comes with the chorus, which is probably the strongest we have ever written. It carries a powerful emotional and dramatic weight — the kind of chorus that immediately makes you want to go back and listen to the song again.
Lyrically, the track represents the emotional core of the album. It speaks about feeling like orphaned souls, searching for meaning, truth and light in a world that feels increasingly unstable and broken. There is a deep sense of pain throughout the song, but also a feeling of revelation, resilience and endurance.
“No One Beats Death”
This song brings a more modern groove compared to the other tracks on the album. It is heavy, direct, and driven by a different kind of energy—less focused on speed and more on weight, rhythm and attitude. In that sense, it reveals another side of Bloodhunter while still maintaining the intensity that defines the record.
Lyrically, the song deals with awareness, acceptance and transformation. It speaks about confronting fear, breaking through denial, and understanding that life must be lived to the fullest because there is no escaping the end. However, the message is far from defeatist. Instead, it turns that certainty into fuel: no steps backwards, no surrender—give everything while you still can.
“Code Aeturnam”
This song has a very distinctive rhythmic feel, almost like a dark waltz, which gives it a unique personality within the album. We liked the idea of taking that circular, almost ritualistic pulse and bringing it into a heavier extreme metal context.
Lyrically, the track ventures into more mystical and philosophical territory, exploring themes such as the unknown, the origin of existence, nature, spirit and hidden knowledge. It feels like a search for truth beyond the visible world, and the song’s atmosphere plays a major role in conveying that feeling.
“The Path That Never Ends”
This is one of the most complex songs on the album. Laura Guldemond from Burning Witches appears on the chorus with melodic vocals, adding a different emotional layer to the track.
Musically, it is built around irregular time signatures, although we aimed to make them flow naturally rather than sound overtly technical. The drums maintain a steadier pulse while the rest of the instruments move around it, creating a hypnotic, groovy, and slightly unstable effect.
Lyrically, the song carries a dark and spiritual tone, dealing with despair, manipulation, and the feeling of being trapped on a path with no beginning or end.
“The Night Is Darker Before Dawn
Every Bloodhunter album has included an instrumental track, but they have usually been very technical pieces, full of shredding and crazy solos. This time, however, we wanted to take the opposite approach.
We decided to pause the intensity for a moment with something completely acoustic, calm and atmospheric. It works as a breath of air before the next song, which goes in the exact opposite direction.
“Master of Deceive”
This is probably the song with the strongest contrasts on the album. The verses are highly intense and driven by blast beats, while the choruses are much more melodic — almost beautiful in comparison. That contrast is a key element of the track’s identity.
These were the first lyrics to be written for this album. Some of the topics are narcissism, manipulation, toxic behavior, and the way some people use deception, victimhood or false confidence to control others. It is a very direct song, but it also carries a sense of awareness: the idea that you cannot win their game if you keep allowing them to play with you.
There is also a piano line running quietly in the background throughout the song. You may not fully notice it at first, but once you hear it, it becomes more present on later listens and adds a subtle but dramatic layer to the track.
“Human Insecticide” (Annihilator cover) bonus track
We chose “Human Insecticide” because it fits very naturally with Bloodhunter’s style. It has that blend of speed, aggression, and sharp riffing that connects well with our own sound, so it felt like a cover we could make our own without forcing it.
Since it appears as a bonus track, we did not want it to interrupt the main flow of Sons of the Abandoned, but rather serve as an extra punch at the end. It is also a way to pay tribute to a song and a band that belong to the more aggressive side of classic thrash metal, which has always been part of our musical background. The lyrics also fit very well with the main vibe of this album and serve as a manifesto against the current global situation.
Bloodhunter Live Dates:
12.06.2026 Revi Live | Madrid, ES w/Crypta
14.06.2026 Rebullón | Mos, ES w/Crypta
15.06.2026 Urban Rock Concept| Vitoria, ES w/Crypta
16.06.2026 Rock City | Valencia, ES w/Crypta
17.06.2026 Estraperlo| Badalona, ES w/Crypta
07.11.2026 Halloween Metal Fest | Kafe Antzokia | Bermeo, ES
06.12.2026 Desolation Metal Days | Marearock | Alicante, ES
