Hump Day Hot Ticket: Bendida “Land of Perun”

Band photo

As promised, this week I have a new band to introduce (or, at least, new to this page). Hailing from Sofia, Bulgaria; Bendida is a self-described “symphonic-fantasy metal band” who, like many of their contemporaries in the scene, incorporate lyrical themes pertaining to fantasy. However, Bendida appears to infuse fantasy into their entire sound, as opposed to making reference to it.

You can hear this from the moment the opening notes begin on the song “Land of Perun”, their latest video. Violinist Vyara Grancharova sits on a rock, and her melancholic playing immediately hearkens visuals of a time gone by. The camera pans over broken pillars or columns in an empty field, zooming faster until we approach the band, playing in the midst of the stone columns. The music is very reminiscent of something that would feel right at home in a Zelda or Final Fantasy game, or on The Lord of the Rings soundtrack (which is clearly the sound they are going for).

Playing the role of the “Red Pagan Priestess” is Bendida frontwoman Kremena Nikolova, as she and her trusty steed gallop across the land, as mysterious figures in black pursue her on horseback (definitely reminiscent of Lord of the Rings here!). Dismounting her horse and running through the forest, the cloaked villains continue to give chase. Running up some steps, she finds an enigmatic symbol carved on a stone. While the bad guys continue hunting her down (passing by the same stone), the Red Pagan Priestess finds a cave. As she makes her way deeper into the cavern, she finds what appear to be the remains of an ancient warrior. She notices that he is wearing a pendant just like her own, both bearing the symbol carved upon the stone. Placing the two pendants together, the warrior (Perun) comes to life just in time to scare the living hell out of the evildoers.

For more information on Bendida, visit the band's official website.

Special thanks to Jason Drue Keith.