Expectations: Heartless, Shallow and Cruel Reflects The Struggles In Our Lives

It’s fair to say that the Balkan hardcore scene has been blooming in the last couple of years. Bulgaria’s Expectations have been around the whole time, leading the charge with their own blend of heartfelt melodic hardcore. It’s been almost four years since the band released their third full-length Bye Bye Youth and we’ve been patiently waiting for their return to the scene.

Heartless, Shallow and Cruel is the fourth album from Expectations. Much like the band’s previous releases, this new belter is packed to the rafters with the traits that made them a household name within the Bulgarian hardcore scene. The explosive guitar tone and all-guns-blazing rhythm section combine perfectly well with the propulsive vocals of the singer Georgi, alternating flawlessly between styles. Heartless, Shallow and Cruel is a big leap forward for Expectations. It’s their most daring album to date, charting a territory between the tropes of early 2000s melodic hardcore, which influenced the band in their early years and something far more mature and abstract. There’s more power and vigor in these ten songs for sure, but the impulsiveness and rush of previous albums are gone for good in favor of a more balanced approach to songwriting and powerful collaborations with diverse Bulgarian artists. The eight song “Под тъмно небе”, featuring singers of longstanding local bands Outrage and Indignity and a sick guitar solo by Chavdar Manolchev, who plays in both, shows the band in a new light singing in Bulgarian for the first time in their career. 

Always moving forward without repeating themselves as a band, the new Expectations album shows that the five-piece are still capable of writing furious yet always engaging emotional songs. Check it out for yourself (Bandcamp embed below) and read our interview with singer Georgi Dimitrov and guitarists Andrey Genchev and Mihail Slavov (who also recorded and mixed the album at his Wind City Studio in Sofia).

Expectations started in 2009 as one of the most promising modern-sounding hardcore bands in a relatively small scene like Bulgaria. What changes have you experienced both in terms of Bulgarian society and the local music scene during that time?

Mihail: Being part of a band for more than a decade puts you in a position where you see people and bands come and go. Many different trends as well. When we started Expectations it was at the peak of melodic hardcore as a genre. Also, it was during a time I could call a peak in Bulgarian hardcore music, that was 10-11-12 years ago. After that, I think the momentum slowed down and for many years the Bulgarian scene was more on a downward trajectory. Not many new bands, not many new people. Young people were more interested in other types of music. At least to my eye that’s how it was. However, in the last few years, it seems that we might be going up as a scene again. A few newer bands are showing up as well as new people to bring energy and fresh ideas. I hope this keeps going and gets more visible in the next few years. 

The main problem I see right now is the huge division and segmentation between the politically-active leftist layer of the scene and the more apolitical “doing it for the fun of it” type of bands and audiences. The second type of people is usually not very aware of the existence of the first one. Many people can’t embrace radical politics and ideas from the first moment they come in contact with them. That’s why apolitical hardcore dominates the scene. I understand it’s a process and it takes time but it’s funny seeing people who have been in the scene for years not understanding its predominantly leftist and anti-commercial nature, the main values of antifascism, antihomophobia, antisexism, and so on.

When it comes to Bulgarian society in general, other than the fact that for some people the living standard is now higher, I don’t see huge progress or move in a better direction. Since 2009 we’ve always had at least one nationalistic party in the parliament. People still get very easily impressed by populists and people still focus their anger in the wrong direction. Women suffering abuse is still a norm in our society. I honestly can’t see how this is going to change in our lifetime. But it is what it is. You learn to survive mentally and physically in such an environment and to hold on even stronger to the things and people you love.

Georgi: The kids are alright! The scene is growing and I see a tendency where subcultures and different layers of the punk-rock scene are getting mixed which eventually leads to more experimental music. Unity is the future!

I’m really excited about your new record Heartless, Shallow and Cruel! Can you go a bit more in-depth into the feelings, ideas and underlying message behind these new songs?

Mihail: Musically, as always we wanted to push ourselves as much as we can. To write the best songs possible. To have interesting, dynamic and diverse music. That for me was always the sonic goal of this band and what I personally aim as a guitarist and songwriter. I think we really did our best. Georgi is the one writing all the lyrics so he should be talking about the ideas and messages but I think as always we created an album that reflects the struggles in our lives. It’s still very emotionally heavy music for me. Even in the more melodic and upbeat songs. I have no interest in trying to do something else with this band other than expand what we are already doing.

Georgi: This record, like every Expectations record, is about growing as an individual and trying to make a change on a personal level. Obviously, we have evolved musically but the core idea of trying to be yourself as much as possible in the world that surrounds us stays. For me this is Expectations 2.0, an honest reflection of us getting older. You can feel it in the music. 

Andrey: I believe the album encompasses a mix of emotions that everyone can relate to in one way or another. The dark and heavy undertones of the songs and real-life stories told in the lyrics, all act as an outlet to help us face and overcome our challenges, by acknowledging them into music and text. I only hope that whoever comes across our music can find something for themselves, that makes them better and stronger, because we’re all in the same boat after all.

The lineup has changed several times in the past and you have a pretty much different squad on all your releases. How does changing a member affect the songwriting in Expectations? What’s the recipe for expanding your music boundaries as a band?

Mihail: For all Expectations albums the songwriting process has been different and probably would change and evolve in future releases too. The truth is that we do whatever needs to be done. Sometimes the relations and dynamics in the band allow us to be very collaborative. Other times not so much and many songs are written by mostly one person. Those approaches change and alternate through the years and from that, different types of songs come out. Everybody has a different opinion on how we should write but I really don’t care that much. I see advantages and disadvantages in both approaches. I am grateful to everybody who has ever been in Expectations for the time, energy and love they contributed while in the band. I also think that the current lineup is the best one in terms of the vibe and understanding between us and also the ability to play and write music. I am very excited about what the future holds.

Touring bands are usually quick to note that the Bulgarian scene is really diverse when it comes to bands and artists from different genres playing together on the same bill. You have a lot of collaborations with various Bulgarian artists on your new album, can you talk about it?

Georgi: The hardcore punk culture tаught me to accept others and have an open mind towards the world and we carry this mindset into our music. For me, getting out of my comfort zone and trying to experiment is the best way to grow as an artist. Collaborating with different musicians brings a different perspective in our music. You can learn new things every day, especially when you communicate and create with artists from different genres. This is why we invited Alexandrina Alexandrova aka АДА to join us for a song. About the song with Outrage and Indignity (two of the oldest still active Bulgarian hardcore bands), we wanted to pay respect to these local legends! They really inspired us throughout the years. Shout out to Martin Molhov from Rugged for screaming on “Lost” and last but not least shout out to Vnuck Veagan for screaming in the song “Под тъмно небе”! 

What positive developments do you see in the Bulgarian scene? In my opinion, it’s the ever growing spirit of friendship and connectedness with people and bands from other Balkan countries, like Greece, Romania, and Serbia in recent years. Can you recommend some newer bands and other stuff, both Bulgarian and Balkan, to the people who are not familiar with the scene?

Georgi: Check out War Engine (Novi Sad, Serbia), Malignant (Athens, Greece), Facepalm Death (Sofia, Bulgaria), Rejuvenation (Sofia, Bulgaria) and many, many more! Support your local scene! 

Mihail: I totally agree that supporting bands and people who are physically near you is very important. I like going to shows abroad and seeing big international bands play but in order to have a healthy and thriving scene I know I have to support whoever comes and plays here as much as I can. I already shared my thoughts about the Bulgarian scene in my answer to the first question. If people want to hear some great Balkan bands they should check out Rugged, Feedbacker, and Спални Места from Bulgaria, Malignant from Greece, and Violent Chapter from Serbia.

I believe that when Expectations started back in the day, the band was influenced a lot by the melodic hardcore scene at the time. Today, we have huge newer bands like Turnstile, One Step Closer, or Fiddlehead. Do you think these bands would have been an influence on Expectations if you’ve started just now? What are the most important current bands for you?

Georgi: Definitely an influence! I really love how these bands have emerged from the underground scene releasing music in a more strict hardcore punk vibe and then evolving into a more rockish sounding bands. My highschool favorites were bands like Taking Back Sunday, Ignite, Alexisonfire, Thrice and At The Drive-in and their latest releases are simply amazing. I would easily say that I would love to try and create in that direction. 

Mihail: Starting out we were influenced by melodic hardcore but also by crust punk, post-metal and many other genres. Those bands you mentioned are a huge breath of fresh air for the scene and they have in fact influenced us due to the fact that we have listened to their music on heavy rotation for years. Some of the other big names I should mention are Stick To Your Guns, Converge, Every Time I Die, and Terror.

How important is playing music as a form of self-expression in your life? Is it possible for our scene to keep innovating and not become stuck in a specific musical or ideological framework?

Mihail: For me being able to play music is the most important thing in life other than my health and the relationships with the people I love. Sometimes I think I even put more focus on music than I should but it is what it is. Innovation is important for punk but things in my opinion are very cyclical. Punk as a scene and state of mind has had many periods of extreme musical and ideological innovation and as many periods of stagnation and repetitiveness. Those who push the boundaries are the ones who usually have to overcome the greatest hardship and stigmatization. You can be very open to new ideas in one time of your life and very judgmental in another. That’s why I think it’s very important for people to frequently look at themselves, to do retrospectives, to analyze periods of their lives, how and why they acted in a certain way during those times, to draw conclusions, to not be afraid to change. Without this we are willing to repeat the same mistakes. Music helps with this a lot but it’s not the only thing we should rely on.

Andrey: I’d say that music is the only form of self-expression I know. I think of the guitar like a diary, whatever you feel, sad, happy, bored or excited, you can translate that to the fretboard and let these emotions out. As for innovation, I believe it comes down to what your reasons for making music are, how committed you are, and how far you’re willing to get out of your comfort zone to try new things.

What are your hopes and expectations for the rest of 2022?

Georgi: To have fun! 

Mihail: When it comes to the band, I hope we will be able to promote our new record in the best way possible, play as many shows as we can, meet new people and old friends, and share great experiences on and off stage. We are working on a European tour for this Autumn and I hope that works out as well.

Andrey: Not gonna lie, I hope we’re able to get our music out there, because all I want to do is play in front of a live audience, no better feeling in the world for me.

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