Report: Heavy Metal Is Alive And Well In Bulgaria

Hugh Fraser of Bulgaria's SofiaEcho.com has issued the following report:

With BLACK SABBATH and its famous front man Ozzy Osbourne hitting town next week, I wanted to take a look at the worldwide phenomenon of heavy metal and what heavy metal culture is in Bulgaria.

Knowing little about the heavy metal phenomenon — I have always been amazed that the reality television show "The Osbournes" had such a large following — I needed to know more. It wasn't long into my research that it became evident that heavy metal is more than just music, it is a way of life, and for some it is life.

So, when I was telling Bulgarians that I was from "Down Under," and then came the instant reply of, "Cool, man, that's where AC/DC are from," it was initially a shock. Throughout most of my extensive adventures most of my acquaintances had made the common error of mistaking AC/DC as British or American, but not so for the average Bulgarian. Was it that heavy metal was as common as Shopska salad in the former communist state?

"Not quite," says heavy metal enthusiast Alexander (Sasho) Dimchev. Although the names of METALLICA, AC/DC, and JUDAS PRIEST are as common for some in Bulgaria, heavy metal without doubt sits well behind Chalga (pop folk). But there are many people who are quietly enthusiastic and cross a variety of music genres. However, metal is alive and well in Bulgaria.

Sofia is the home to the biggest number of rock shops in the country. Sasho (33) is the owner of SMF Hunter, a store based on Parchevich Street in Sofia's centre. As well as selling music CDs, DVDs and clothing, he also produces a monthly heavy metal magazine called SMF — a publication that discusses mainstream metal as well as the underground culture. He was not covered in tattoos or F-you style t-shirts, but he was notably wearing the trademark black, however, with a green t-shirt. "I only wore the green t-shirt today because my wife said I should wear something else apart from black for a change." Metalheads have their own distinct style that follows their idols as well as making a statement that they don't want to conform to society.

What is heavy metal in Bulgaria? Sasho tells that the genre was forbidden in the communist socialist times. The only medium to listen to the then alternative music was a record player or gramophone. Even if a fan had money (and many still don't) cassette decks were not available. It was difficult to get hold of records and as a result, it was only the true fans that were listening to the likes of Ozzy behind the closed doors of their homes. Heavy metal became a worldwide phenomenon in the '80s, and Sasho named his business after the TWISTED SISTER hit song "SMF", an abbreviation for "Sick Mother F...ker." Is he representative of his trademark? The image he presented was of a normal Bulgarian.

He says that heavy metal is his life. I asked what it was to him. In line with the philosophies everywhere else in the world of "no rules," he replied: "I don't know. Its something I can't live without, it's like breathing. If I don't listen to music for a couple of days I feel dead. Heavy metal is channel of freedom."

The local live music scene is very poor and consequently almost non-existent. Although many Bulgarians follow heavy metal, the industry struggles to succeed. Sasho says, "There was hardly any money in music before the Internet, but now most metalheads download, exchange CDs with each other, and piracy is rife. The money pool is very small on record sales and therefore it is nearly impossible for a local band to succeed in a very depressed market. Local musicians find it hard enough to find the money to buy an instrument let alone go to a recording studio."

The main venue that supports heavy metal in Sofia is O!Shipka. The street-level bar and garden bar look just like any other in Sofia, but venture down stairs and you will walk into the world of heavy metal. A dark room filled with longhaired metalheads dressed in black t-shirts and leather jackets, banging heads to the hardcore music. Often you can find an ensemble of hungry musicians banging out their originals to an array of dedicated metal fans who are there for the social scene as much as listening to the music.

Read the rest of the article at SofiaEcho.com.