Bloodstrike (band)

Lore & Background

Bloodstrike was formed in Denver, Colorado by guitarist Jeff Alexis and vocalist Holly Wedel in 2013 with the intent of playing an old school style of death metal. Alexis formerly played bass in the thrash band Silencer, and had known Wedel as the vocalist of Torrid Flesh. They next contacted friend Joe Piker to play guitar, then found drummer Ryan Alexander Bloom after asking if any of his students would be a good fit. The group was rounded out with bassist Rhiannon Wisniewski, a past staple member of several bands in the Cleveland area.

Bloodstrike recorded their 3-track demo Necrobirth at Firestorm Studios in Lakewood, Colorado in 2014 and released it on June 16 of that year. The demo was quite popular in the death metal underground and was given excellent reviews. Using their collective industry experience, the band secured a deal with Redefining Darkness Records and released their debut album *In Death We Rot* in 2015. A follow-up EP, *Weapons of Steel*, was announced for a future release.

Reader's Guide

Bloodstrike emerged in the mid-2010s as a key band in the revival of old school Swedish death metal, a style defined by the HM-2 'chainsaw' guitar tone. Their 2014 demo Necrobirth quickly gained traction in the underground, leading to a deal with Redefining Darkness Records. Their debut album In Death We Rot (2015) and follow-up Execution of Violence (2017) received positive reviews and drew comparisons to classic Swedish death metal acts. The band's members brought significant industry experience from previous labels such as Candlelight Records, Mausoleum Records, and Root of All Evil Records, which helped them navigate the music business. Bloodstrike's 2025 EP Weapons of Steel marked a lineup change and continued their presence in the death metal scene. Their significance lies in their role in the resurgence of old school Swedish death metal in the United States, maintaining the raw, chainsaw-driven sound while achieving national touring and recognition in metal publications.

Did You Know?

• Their 2014 demo Necrobirth was recorded at Firestorm Studios in Lakewood, Colorado.
• Drummer Ryan Alexander Bloom was formerly in Havok, which was signed to Britain's Candlelight Records.
• The 2025 EP Weapons of Steel features a cover of Slayer's 'Mandatory Suicide'.

Formation in Denver's Underground

Bloodstrike took shape in 2013 in Denver, Colorado, when guitarist Jeff Alexis and vocalist Holly Wedel decided to channel their shared love of old-school death metal into a new project. The connection between the two was already rooted in the broader metal community: Alexis had previously played bass in the thrash outfit Silencer alongside Ritchie Wilkinson, while Wedel had fronted Torrid Flesh and Nexhymn, bands with which Alexis had some overlap. The recruitment of additional members drew heavily on existing friendships and mutual respect. Joe Piker was brought in on guitar partly because of his musical taste and his history with bands like Clusterfux, Dripfed, and Doomed Youth. Drummer Ryan Alexander Bloom joined after Alexis asked him whether any of his students might be a good fit; Bloom declined the suggestion but expressed personal interest in playing. Bassist Rhiannon Wisniewski, a well-known figure in the Cleveland metal scene through bands such as Somnus, Dark Arena, Acheron, and others, rounded out the original lineup.

From Demo to Debut

The band's early momentum was fueled by a three-track demo called Necrobirth, recorded at Firestorm Studios in Lakewood, Colorado, and released on June 16, 2014. The tape generated strong buzz within the death metal underground and earned excellent reviews, giving the group significant leverage in the label market. Each member brought prior industry experience: Bloom had been signed to Candlelight Records with Havok, Alexis to Mausoleum Records with Silencer, Wisniewski to Root of All Evil Records with Somnus, and Piker to Less Art Records with Clusterfux. By 2015, they secured a deal with Redefining Darkness Records, a connection facilitated in part by the fact that Bloom and label owner Thomas Haywood had both been on Candlelight concurrently in 2008, and that Wisniewski and Haywood had known each other's work through the Cleveland scene. Their debut album, In Death We Rot, arrived on September 25, 2015, recorded again at Firestorm Studios, mixed by Patrick Bruss of Crypticus, and mastered by Ken Sorceron of Abigail Williams. Critics drew comparisons to Entombed, Grave, and Bolt Thrower, and the band launched into a US supporting tour in 2016.

Execution of Violence and the Road

Almost immediately after In Death We Rot hit shelves, the band turned its attention to a follow-up. Execution of Violence was released on October 13, 2017, through Redefining Darkness in the United States and Canada and through Dutch label Raw Skull Recordz in Europe. Once again recorded at Firestorm Studios, the album was mixed by John Bart Van Der Wal and mastered by Dan Swanö, the Swedish musician known for Bloodbath, Edge of Sanity, and Nightingale, a fitting choice for a band dedicated to the Swedish death metal tradition. The record received positive reviews and coverage in nationally recognized metal publications. The band immediately hit the road, touring the United States alongside Brazilian death metal act Forceps, which included a performance at the inaugural Denver Death Fest. The track "Abomination" from the debut also found a second life on the 2016 Transcending Records compilation Music From A Desolate World, extending the band's reach beyond their core audience.

A Decade of Swedeath Revival

Bloodstrike has carved out a distinct identity as one of the leading voices in the resurgence of old-school Swedish death metal, often referred to as Swedeath. Their signature sound is built around the classic Hm-2 chainsaw guitar tone, a deliberate homage to the era of Entombed and Grave that defined the genre in the early 1990s. By 2025, the band marked the tenth anniversary of In Death We Rot with a three-track EP called Weapons of Steel, released on October 4. This milestone record included a cover of Slayer's "Mandatory Suicide" alongside two original compositions, and featured guest vocalists Rob Seeley, Nadine Lisica, and "D." Notably, it was the first Bloodstrike release without original members Wisniewski and Piker, with Alexis handling all guitar duties and Patrick Russell stepping in on bass. The EP underscored the band's continued relevance and their role in keeping the old-school death metal flame burning well into its second decade.