The year is 1999 when two souls (Agan on guitars and Vampiriac on bass) decide to unite forces in sculpturing their own gifts that to place in front of the Black Metal altar someday. Soon after this two more individuals, namely Pericles (drums) and Pagane (vocals) join, and the band is formed. The name chosen is BLEEDING BLACK. 2001 is the year when this obscure quartet comes up with their “Too Black” full-length debut. The style orientation is lugubrious, totally keyboards-free Black Metal, as a result of which numerous “connoisseurs” embrace the idea that Bulgaria has just given birth to a vertiginously successful DARKTHRONE / BURZUM clone. That nobody has started from nowhere is clear, so in other listeners' ears the 6 tracks that Agan and Co have just come up with are least meant to confirm that being influenced is not like being inspired. BLEEDING BLACK, in the ear of the one typing these lines at least, are definitely inspired as, despite of their undisputable merits and importance, none of the releases from the aforementioned celebrities from Norway has succeeded in calling such a tremendous billow of desolation that to make you feel so totally wasted in your microcosmic labyrinths… The recipe, like with all truly impacting works in the Black Metal field, is amusingly simple: just unpretentious riffs and drumming. The only “dramatic” aspect to be found here remains the screams of the songstress Pagane, for being such an efficient reviver of all the moments of internal suffering that everybody have certainly had, especially if used to utilize the gray matter in their heads much more often than necessary. What is interesting to be mentioned about “Too Black” in addition is that the album lyrics are in… French. The second injection of freezing bitterness comes in 2003, when (again) the Bulgarian label 043 Records releases BLEEDING BLACK's second album entitled “Personal Hell” and offering another 8 tracks of angst and obscurity. A CD that marks the band's find of their own path in the Black Metal labyrinths already teeming with enthusiasts from all over the world who, whether because of creativity lack or just pure and simple inertia, have gladly grasped the idea that the new is the well forgotten old. Now, 3 years later, BLEEDING BLACK is put on hold due to Pagane's absence from the country, and no one can tell when a new release will see the light of day. But this is by no means of proving that the mastermind Agan sleeps! In between the two BLEEDING BLACK releases new ideas start taking shape in the head of the man, and ORENDA ( a mysterious force of nature that could kill through one single touch ) is born. Rumors at the time say that this eerie name is meant to conceal even grimmer approaches in the Black Metal play, and the “Back In The Grave” debut (2006) now ends up being a perfect proof that even rumors can make sense sometimes! The line up is Agan (guitars), Vampiriac (bass / vocals) and Pericles (drums), and the 6 tracks that these 3 guys are coming up with are able to convince anyone but the deaf (both literally and figuratively !) that this is not an anemic BLEEDING BLACK continuation! ORENDA is here to stay.

Vanya Marinova

Source : http://www.no-colours-records.de/