Bloodrock was best known for a novelty song, "D.O.A.", about a gory airplane crash, which became their only hit single in 1970. They were only marginally popular in the United States and were essentially a cult band, but reportedly became a favorite among troops in Vietnam. The early albums featured a heavy metal sound reminiscent of other hard rock bands at the time, such as Steppenwolf and Black Sabbath. The lyrics were unusually cynical for the time, exploring such themes as alienation and revenge, which would later be found in abundance in the punk rock scene, but seemed out of place in the post-Woodstock period of the early 1970s. Songs which were fan favorites included "Whiskey Vengeance", "Gotta Find a Way", "Double-Cross", "Dier Not a Lover", "Erosion", and "American Burn." As of the 1972 album Passage, their original vocalist Jim Rutledge left and was replaced by Warren Ham (a born-again Christian who would later perform with Kerry Livgren's Christian rock band A.D. in the 1980s.) Bloodrock took a major turn away from hard rock on the last two albums, turning toward progressive rock, pop, and jazz, reminiscent of such artists as Jethro Tull, Todd Rundgren, and Traffic. During live performances in the Warren Ham era, the band often refused to play their earlier songs with cynical or gory themes such as "D.O.A." Interestingly, though, the lyrics on the later albums often had leftist or even Marxist themes on songs like "The Power." The CD release Triptych includes their last two albums plus an additional, previously unreleased album, Unspoken Words, recorded by the band in 1974 before their official breakup. A reunion concert featuring the six original numbers was held on March 12, 2005 in Dallas, for the benefit of keyboardist Stevie Hill. For more info on that sold out benefit concert, visit www.steviehill.com. The DVD and CD of the concert will be available soon.
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