Review by JD on April 18, 2018.

I have come across only a few Belgian bands and for the most part, they were amazing as hell… and of course a few duds as well.  I have one Belgian act for you, that originally were from Luxembourg and are pretty damned impressive. This review for re release of 2005 demo The Awakening by Black Bleeding.

You gotta love a band that starts their own bio with: “We started playing in 1999 but this is the new 2003 line-up... so fuck the past.”.   This is a three piece that plays blackened death metal with some thrash leanings as well. Think sort of like Grave Digger gone death metal with a more sinister tilt. The EP opens with a barrage of drums and then brutal riffing of the track 'The Sleeper has Awakened' getting close but not quite to technical death metal territory with hinting of older styled thrash, but with a demonic overtone.  The other tracks were basically the same style and power but seemed to lack some intensity and variety.  The last track, the nine minute 'Demonic Quantum Boundaries' was the EP’s stand out, as it was an epic and sometimes sweeping piece but it seemed to be out of place on this album that was turning out to be sort of average. A good end for a very so-so album nontheless. 

Black Bleeding may not have set the new standard for blackened death metal with this release but it was a good solid effort still. I would pull this EP out once in a while to listen to, but not too many times since it's very much stuck on average.  As good as it is, there are many more spectacular bands to crush my cranium with. 

Rating: 6 out of 10