BLOOD FOR BLOOD Guitarist Explains His Absence From 'Persistence Tour'

On Thursday, December 3, Boston's favorite white-trash, hardcore hooligans BLOOD FOR BLOOD will hit the road in Europe as part of the 2010 Persistence Tour. This will mark the first time since 2004 that BLOOD FOR BLOOD fans have been able to see the band live on stage.

As previously announced, BLOOD FOR BLOOD guitarist Rob Lind decided not to join his bandmates on the road and BIOHAZARD's Billy Graziadei will be filling in for him during the trek.

In the statement below, Lind shares his thoughts on not being part of BLOOD FOR BLOOD's current touring lineup, the future of the band and his relationship with his bandmates.

Lind: "A few months ago it was announced in the press that BLOOD FOR BLOOD would be touring again. Specifically, it was announced that BLOOD FOR BLOOD would be doing this year's annual Persistence Tour in Europe (with SICK OF IT ALL, D.R.I., UNEARTH, EVERGREEN TERRACE and others). It was also announced that BLOOD FOR BLOOD would be doing this tour and future shows without me.

"In absence of a response or statement on my part, there was an immediate deluge of speculation, invective and hostility in reaction to the announcement online and in the scene. And it is ongoing.

"With the Persistence Tour looming and BLOOD FOR BLOOD's return to the stage imminent, I just wanted to clarify my position and set the record straight.

"First, let me say that I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support on my behalf. I have never been more sincere in my whole fucking life: it meant more to me than anything that has happened since I started playing music. I will never forget it as long as I live. However, the controversy was misguided and any negativity misplaced.

"I have been working with Buddha [Erick Medina; vocals] and Ian [McFarland; bass] for the last few months now on the future of BLOOD FOR BLOOD and it has been an open and amicable relationship. The core of BLOOD FOR BLOOD has always been our friendship within the band.

"I cannot tour at this point in my life. I hope to be able to again in the future but at present it is simply not possible for personal reasons that I will not get into. I miss it very much (believe me, I would like nothing more than to be getting up on stage with the guys in a few days for the tour's first show). But my inability to tour doesn't alter the fact that BLOOD FOR BLOOD has an enduring legacy and demand. And the fellas in the band miss it all as much as I do.

"After a few months of open dialogue and discussion we (Buddha, Ian, and I) have decided on an arrangement that is best for us all.

"Though I stated I can't play out and tour right now, I am not done with music by a long shot. Nor am I done with BLOOD FOR BLOOD. BLOOD FOR BLOOD will always be a part of me and I will always be a part of BLOOD FOR BLOOD. And the show isn't over...

"The band, with my full support and blessing and friendship, is going to tour again without me until the time comes when I can join them again on the road. This was the plan all along and that had been in the works for a while now. We just had to work out some internal details before I could jump in openly and publicly.

"This is not a tentative or half-hearted arrangement. We intend to continue the band on all fronts. We intend to record again. We intend to play out and tour again (as I stated above, I will join in live whenever possible). And we are psyched about every bit of it.

"On a side note, I have never at any point over the past few years stopped writing music (either for BLOOD FOR BLOOD or any of my other projects). Consequently I am presently hoarding the biggest glut of material in my life. And I can't wait to get to work on it.

"So even though I won't physically be there on stage with the guys, I will be there whole-heartedly in spirit as a member of the band.

"BLOOD FOR BLOOD is back, bitches! I bet club security all over the world is weeping and hiring extra help and taking out better health care policies on their employees!"

Inspired by bands such as SHEER TERROR, BREAKDOWN, CARNIVORE and RAW DEAL, BLOOD FOR BLOOD formed as a reaction to the existing heavy music scene in Boston back in 1995. "We couldn't relate to anything that was going on in Boston at the time," said vocalist Erick Medina. "We wanted to hear music about the shit we saw and faced every day. The scene at the time was a fashion show."

BLOOD FOR BLOOD cultivated a large, and dangerously loyal, fan base since its inception almost a decade ago. Having toured with such acts as DROPKICK MURPHYS, TERROR, and SICK OF IT ALL, exposing their venom to the nation, the band has left an indelible and hungry mark on the scene.

BLOOD FOR BLOOD has five recordings under its belt, with four of them having been released through Victory Records.

Lyrically, BLOOD FOR BLOOD combines the depravity and pain of the world they see outside their door every day with the experiences of their own dead end lives in an outlaw-poetry style that truly affects its listeners in a deep way.

BLOOD FOR BLOOD's last album, "Serenity", was released in May 2004.

BLOOD FOR BLOOD 2010 touring lineup:

Erick "Buddha" Medina - Vocals
Billy Graziadei (BIOHAZARD) - Guitar, Vocals
Ian McFarland - Bass
Neal Dike - Drums