It's really no surprise that Avenger of Blood came together in San Francisco. The city had been the hotbed of American thrash in the early eighties, and has spawned some of the genre's heavyweights. Influenced by both American and European thrash, guitarist Eric assembled Avenger in 2003 with fellow members Marc (guitars), Shannon (drums), and Shawn (bass). They released a demo the following year, and then up and moved to the City of Sin, Las Vegas. There the band consolidated their sound, played a number of shows, and built up a following. Their chops scored them a record deal with indie label JCM in 2005, and the band released their debut -- Complete Annihilation -- shortly thereafter. The next year or so was to be a bit of an upheaval time for Avenger of Blood, as they exited their relationship with both guitarist Eric (he would be replaced by Sal Lalli) and their record label. Fortunately, the band's reputation -- through successful performances at some of the country's premier metal-fests (Northwest Deathfest 2, Minneapolis Mayhem 1 and 2, and Thunder In the North, to name a few) -- was enough to pique the interest of New York label Heavy Artillery, who put the band on their Speed Kills...Again compilation. In 2008, Avenger of Blood released their second full-length, Death Brigade. ~ Chris True