As Blood Runs Black
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2003 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Studio albums: Allegiance, Instinct, Ground Zero |
Number of employees | 5 (current members) |
As Blood Runs Black is a metalcore and deathcore group originating from Los Angeles, California. Their discography includes three studio albums: the initial release Allegiance launched on June 6, 2006; Instinct, which debuted on March 15, 2011, achieving the top position on the US Heatseekers chart and peaking at #111 on the Billboard 200; and finally, Ground Zero, self-published on October 27, 2014, with funding secured through crowdfunding on IndieGoGo.
The band has undergone significant personnel shifts, resulting in no founding members remaining. Nevertheless, drummer Hector "Lech" de Santiago along with bassist Nick Stewart have consistently contributed to every album release.
Formation, lineup transitions, and Allegiance era (2003–2007)
In 2003, As Blood Runs Black was established in Los Angeles as an offshoot of the band Broken Stems. The original lineup featured co-vocalists Louie Ruvalcaba and Enrique "Ricky" Martin, bassist Richard Reyes, and guitarists Bijon Roybal and Kyle Hasenstab. Following the departure of drummer Brian "Animal" Matute, Hector "Lech" De Santiago took over percussion duties. After initial songwriting sessions, the band adopted the name As Blood Runs Black and held their debut performance at Toberman in San Pedro, Los Angeles, showcasing original compositions alongside cover songs. Vocalists Ruvalcaba and Martin authored the lyrics for "Before the Break of Dawn," while bassist Reyes wrote "Hester Prynne" and "In Dying Days," tracks that would later appear on their first album. Two demo recordings were released in 2004 and 2005, both featuring these key songs.
By 2005, as preparations for their debut album were underway, Ruvalcaba, Martin, Reyes, Roybal, and Hasenstab all exited the group, leaving De Santiago as the only remaining member. He then brought in Nick Stewart on bass, Ernie Flores on guitar, and Chris Blair as the sole vocalist. This lineup recorded Allegiance, which was released on June 6, 2006. Shortly after this release, Sal Mendez joined to fill the role of second guitarist. Over the following two years, As Blood Runs Black toured extensively in support of Allegiance, including participating in the 2007 Summer Slaughter tour.
Exit of Chris Blair and Sal Roldan (2009)
Toward the end of 2008, vocalist Christopher Blair and guitarist Sal Roldan departed just prior to an Australian tour. Sean Murphy from hardcore band Endwell stepped in as vocalist for the remainder of that tour and throughout the year.
In 2009, Danny Leal of deathcore band Upon a Burning Body temporarily took over vocal duties during the first half of the year before returning to his original project. Subsequently, Jonny McBee from deathcore outfit The Browning assumed vocals for the rest of 2009 but left due to interpersonal conflicts.
During this timeframe, Chris Blair worked on a project titled "Instinct" at UnderCity Recording Inc.
Period of lineup fluctuations and release of Instinct (2010–2012)
At the beginning of 2010, As Blood Runs Black announced Ken Maxwell—formerly associated with deathcore band Behead the Tyrant—as their new permanent vocalist. Following guitarist Flores's departure, Greg Kirkpatrick and Dan Sugarman joined to fill guitar positions. The band premiered "Resist," marking their first track featuring Maxwell’s vocals. During a performance in Anaheim, Sonik Garcia from Fallen Figure made a guest appearance to perform "In Dying Days."
Several months later, Maxwell exited amid internal disagreements, leading to Garcia becoming lead vocalist. The track "Resist" was re-recorded with Garcia’s vocals as they proceeded to record their sophomore album Instinct, which was released on March 15, 2011. The group toured extensively over the subsequent two years to promote this album.
In late 2012, former vocalist Chris Blair returned as a guest during a San Diego concert to perform "In Dying Days." This event marked Garcia’s final tour before departing due to family commitments; he recommended Christopher Bartholomew as his successor—who became the band's sixth lead singer.
Ground Zero era and hiatus (2013–present)
Throughout 2013, As Blood Runs Black embarked on an extensive tour while simultaneously working on their third studio effort, Ground Zero. This album represented their first release following their departure from Mediaskare Records, a split prompted by disagreements. The band chose to finance the project through an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign. Early in 2014, they unveiled the track "Vision," which showcased Bartholomew’s vocal performance. However, later that year, speculation about the band’s potential breakup began circulating.
On August 12, 2014, drummer Hector "Lech" De Santiago alluded to the possibility of the group dissolving after enduring years marked by legal disputes and industry obstacles. He expressed appreciation for their fans and reflected on the band's evolution from humble beginnings in a basement.
Despite these developments, on August 18, 2014, the band released the single "Insomniac" and announced a final North American farewell tour scheduled for fall 2014 to promote the forthcoming album. The plan was to disband following this tour. Subsequently, Ground Zero was officially released on October 27, 2014.
After a prolonged period of inactivity, As Blood Runs Black hinted at new material in August 2021 through a teaser video, suggesting a potential revival of creative activity.
Current
- Hector "Lech" de Santiago – drums
- Nick Stewart – bass
- Greg Kirkpatrick – rhythm guitar, lead guitar
- Christopher Bartholomew – vocals
Former
- Enrique Martin Jr. – vocals
- Louie Ruvalcaba – vocals
- Chris Blair – vocals
- Jonny McBee – vocals
- Ken Maxwell – vocals
- Sonik Garcia – vocals
- Kyle Hasenstab – lead guitar
- Bijon Roybal – rhythm guitar
- Sal Roldan – guitars
- Ernie Flores – lead guitar
- Nita Strauss – rhythm guitar
- Dan Sugarman – lead guitar
- Richard Reyes – bass
- Devon Morrison – drums
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Label | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Hard Rock | US Heatseekers | US Indie | US Rock | |||
| 2006 | Allegiance | Mediaskare | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2011 | Instinct | 111 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 27 | |
| 2014 | Ground Zero | StandBy | — | — | 20 | — | — |
| "—" indicates the album did not enter the charts | |||||||
Demo albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Demo 2004 |
| 2005 | Demo 2005 |
| 2006 | Halloween of Massacre |
| 2008 | Pre-Production Demo |
Music videos
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "My Fears Have Become Phobias" | Allegiance |
| "The Brighter Side of Suffering" | ||
| 2011 | "Resist" | Instinct |
| 2012 | "In Honor" (live) | |
| 2014 | "Vision" | Ground Zero |