There are multiple artists named Bleak: 1) A side project of Lycia members Mike Van Portfleet and David Galas. 2) A Finnish rock band. 3) An ambient black metal band from Chico, CA, USA. 4) A death blues band from London, UK. 5) A Swedish techno act. 6) A black metal/sludge/grindcore band from Syracuse, NY. 7) A post black metal band from Venezuela (active 2012 - 2014).
1) In the midst of an incredibly prolific time for the band Lycia during the mid-1990s, bandleader Mike Van Portfleet and fellow member David Galas found time to create a side project, Bleak, to focus on more aggressive music than they normally produced in their main group. One full-length album, titled "Vane", was released in 1995.
2) Formed in Finland's rock capital Rovaniemi in 1997, Bleak stuck strictly to grunge during the first years of its career. The new millennium saw the band take a short breather, but Bleak regrouped in 2002, armed with a new, broader musical outlook. Today, the band's music is a reflection of the eternally, well, bleak sonic frost of these five northern men, coated with an earthy penchant for melody, all served continental style. Vocalist/songwriter Caleb's exceptional voice is the icing on the cake.
The band worked hard on a grass roots level, and their self-financed single 'Crossword' was in rotation at several rock radio stations. Radio airplay and live performances started to build a solid fanbase steadily. Asko Kallonen and Niko Nordström from Helsinki Music Company took an interest in the band and soon signed Bleak. The first fruits of the new partnership came in the form of the single 'Play', which debuted on the official Finnish singles chart at number 2. The song also found its way to the playlists of both Radio City and YleX.
Bleak has also gigged regularly. Support from Ville and Mige from HIM has given the band a great shove forward, and Bleak has performed as HIM's opening act twice. The new single 'What You Are' will be released on April 12th, and is already in rotation at Radio City and YleX. Bleak's debut album '[Burns Inside]' was released on May 17th 2006. Unfortunately, the band split up in February 2009, to allow its different members to work on their other projects. Nevertheless, Caleb "adopted" all of the old Bleak songs -as well as the new ones from the album the band had been working on- and will continue to play them with his new band, Fireal.
Discography:
Album:
Burns Inside (2006)
Singles:
- Silvertigo (05.2007)
- Fate (featuring Ana Johnsson) (2006)
- What You Are (04.2006)
- Play (11.2005)
Demos:
- Crossword (2004)
- Smoke (2003)
- Luna Umbra (1999)
- Demo (1998)
3) Bleak is ambient / atmospheric / raw black metal with vocals reminiscent of early Burzum, formed in 2001 in Chico, California, United States.
For the most part, all recordings have been done using cheap equipment, and pirated software. the kind founders of metalhordes helped with the recording of the vocals in the two most recent works, allowing sole member, Anthony, to make use of California State University, Chico's recording arts equipment.
Bleak is not about being grim, nekro, ns, kvlt or any other trends that affected teens may be buying into within the different sub genres of black metal. Bleak is about despair, depression, hopelessness, etc. Bleak is about the realization of inevitable death, loss of all that is valued, and the absolute, inavoidable failure of mankind, and all that mankind has created. See also http://www.last.fm/music/Bleak-USBM
Discography:
...of Infinite Nothings (demo, 2001)
Reflections on Death (demo, 2002)
An Ode to Nothingness... (split with Twilight Falls, 2003)
Austere I & II (EP, 2004)
Austere (full-length, 2005)
4) Bleak is the greatest death blues band this side of the Delta. Imagine a noise that can melt through bank vaults. Throw in a wall shattering live show. Add twisted humour and a dash of voodoo. What do you get? Heavy, brutal, primal, direct, and yet sublimely beautiful, this band drags you by your throat from the plantations of the 1860s Deep South via the jails and chain gangs of the Great Depression and throws you face down among burning rubble and charred corpses of the Rhythm Night Club, Natchez Mississippi.
These guys tried to sell their souls to the devil at the crossroads. He couldn’t afford them, so they are going to give you a piece for free instead. BLEAK are Tim - the highs; Rach - the lows; Rich - the sighs; Yvonne - the blows; Anton - the blues...
Discography:
Album:
For the Good of the Nation (2011) - Line Out Records
5) Bleak is a techno act from Sweden.
6) Bleak are a hardcore/metal band from Syracuse, NY, USA.
Skot - Vocals
TJ - Guitar
Matt - Bass
Nick - Drums
Discography:
Split with Hell Mary
Split with KDC
Bleak (2015)
We Deserve Our Failures (2015)
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…shrink me down again