Controlled Bleeding is an experimental band originally formed in Boston around 1978 by Paul Lemos, Jack Salerno and Dave Southerland. Later, returning to Massapequa, New York, Lemos joined forces with old school chums, Gary Pecorino and Tony Meola in the first recorded version of the band, creating instrumental music that has been described as a collision between The Ramones and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Their blazing performances at CBGB's and Stonybrook University in the early '80s, along with various demos, were collected on a long out of print Dutch LP issued under the name BODY SINK.

Pecorino and Lemos would soon part ways due to musical differences over the presence of the three hundred pound scat singing eccentric that is Joe Papa. (Papa answered an ad for a singer in a local music paper, since the group was getting frustrated by the lack of response to their instrumental exercises). With the addition of Chris Moriarty on drums and a few other players, the band continued briefly, but soon imploded after their first disastrous show with the new expanded line up.

Frustrated working with others, Lemos soon started venting his inner poisons through solo experiments in pure screaming cacophony, first documented on the SWALLOWING SCRAP METAL cassette compilation issued in 1982. After receiving encouraging response to these first noise experiments, Lemos recruited Moriarty and Papa once more and soon embarked on a violent creative course that resulted in cassette releases on early noise labels like BROKEN FLAG, XXX, and SWINGING AXE. The band's classic first album, KNEES AND BONES which now stands as one of the earliest documents of American power electronics, was issued in 1983.

Through the course of the next few years, the group would issue a number of varied releases, moving away from pure noise into more textural areas. Albums like BODY SAMPLES, CURD, SONGS FROM THE DRAIN, and BETWEEN TIDES capture the group's raw, increasingly sophisticated aesthetic, blending elements of noise, prog rock, sacred music and musique concrete into something that was very much their own.

Although most of their music has been fiercely experimental, Controlled Bleeding did work with Wax Trax! and Road Runner Records, issuing a handful of very visible, intensely rhythmic records. Recordings like TRUDGE and PENETRATION document this period and have dated suprisingly well. Unfortunately, these more commercial endeavors never sat well with Lemos, and he soon moved away from the commercial marketplace almost entirely, issuing dark sonic experiments like those found on the group's best works, THE DROWNING, INANITION, SONGS FROM A SHALLOW GRAVE, GILDED SHADOWS and THE POISONER CDs. Moriarty would soon leave the fold to pursue his own music in Body Clock, while Lemos and Papa would continue developing music of mournful, spiritual depth (MUSIC FOR STOLEN ICON ll, GOLGOTHA CDs).

Although various side projects came and went through the years (Joined at the Head, Fat Hacker, In Blind Embrace, and Skin Chamber), Controlled Bleeding still exists and will issue some massive ARCHIVE projects in 2007, and possibly a new album early in 2008. An eight CD BOX set will appear from the Hong Kong based label ULTRA MAIL PROD, containing material from the early days in Boston (1977) to the present, and a four LP BOX set from Germany's VINYL ON DEMAND label will gather early pre-noise recordings live from CBGB's, unreleased noise work from the early 80's, and brand new music from the vaults (NOTE: Available now, in limited edition)

Also in the works are various reissues of long out of print recordings, including the In Blind Embrace CD (featuring TORMENTOR'S SONG), and a full CD of live, pre-noise work from the early 1980's. 2008 will mark the release of another 5 lp Box collecting the group's rare cassette releases, their first power electronics experiments.

Meanwhile, Lemos and Papa, along with RUINS drummer, Tatsuya Yoshida, have immersed themselves in the free jazz madness that is The BREASTFED YAK. Their debut CD, GET YOUR GREASY HEAD OFF THE SHAM, was released by Birdman Records a few years ago and remains one of the most completely OUT musical experiences you are bound to encounter. Bleeding fans generally despise it, but Lemos feels it's his finest work to date... (All the band's current releases will soon be available on iTUNES).

Controlled Bleeding's sound is confusingly varied from album to album and has contained elements of dub, free jazz, noise, prog, sacred music, dark ambient, classical and music concrete. To their own detriment, the group has never cared much about generating or maintaining an audience, but just sort of does whatever inspires them in the moment.