Fromed in early 1997,
bliss was a
Canadian three-piece alternative rock band. Rising out of the ashes of grunge and related
Seattle /
Halifax explosions,
bliss vowed to bring life to the stagnant
Charlottetown scene, which was rooted in an anti-rock, "hardcore"
punk movement.
After a interview on a local radio station,
bliss started work on song-writing and song-development. After only a few weeks the trio released the infamous "
Noize Jam Demo" which circulated the local high schools and car tape decks.
Growing in popularity before playing a single gig,
bliss chose an
Inner City Youth Connection Battle of the Bands as their historical first performance.
They performed their strange brew of alt. rock, blues and noise to an ecstatic audience. The band that followed them was booed off the stage, to the cries of "bring back bliss!"
Bliss spent many months working on their
material and playing
coffee houses and other small venues. Soon enough material was written to produce an LP, and bliss headed into the studio. "
In Too Deep" was the result of the so-called "
vampire session" recordings. With countless delays, problems, and setbacks, the band was beginning to grow weary of the D.I.Y. process. But despite all the problems, the music could not be stopped, and all the hard work payed off.
Bliss began leaning towards more
progressive music, as the band's influenced grew. The band began incorporating
stage-show elements into their performance, which turned the bored locals on their ears.
As with many indie bands, eventually
bliss became too big for their own good. Their music was now much more
technical than any of the band members could play
comfortably, and the lead vocalist all but stopped singing entirely.
August 25, 1999 marked the historic final show of one of
Prince Edward Island's most innovative bands. The band performed their hits, misses and personal favourites to a captivated audience. It was a
bittersweet farewell which left both band and audience emotionally shaken.
Although it has been hinted that members may reunite under the "
Special Puppets" moniker, it seems unlikely that any long-term projects will emerge.