Pomaranča
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Ljubljana , Slovenia |
| Products | Heavy metal music, studio albums, singles |
Pomaranča (translated as Orange), known as Orange on their English-language releases, was a heavy metal group originating from Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 1979. During their initial period from 1979 to 1986, they produced three studio albums and established themselves as a significant presence in the Yugoslav heavy metal community. The band reunited in the early 1990s to release an additional album before disbanding once more. They occasionally reunited for special performances, fully returned to the scene in 2024, but soon after the passing of their guitarist and frontman Miloje "Mijo" Popovič, the band ceased activity.
History
Pomaranča came together in 1979 with Miloje "Mijo" Popovič on guitar, Zlatko Magdalenič handling vocals, Marko Herak playing bass, Tomaž Žontar on keyboards, and Franc Teropšič on drums. Initially drawing inspiration from bands like Deep Purple and AC/DC, their sound evolved to incorporate influences from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) alongside blues elements. The band's name was derived from Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange and its cinematic adaptation.
Their debut recording was a single released in 1980 featuring the tracks "Soldat" and "Mladost," followed by two more singles in 1981. They garnered attention at the 1981 Novi Rock festival through a bold anti-punk rock statement.
In 1981, Pomaranča issued their first full-length album Peklenska pomoranča (meaning Hell Orange). Tracks such as "Moli s kim si legla noćoj" and "Pustite upanje, ki vstopate" received considerable airplay on radio stations. The band supported Gillan during a concert in Belgrade in 1982 and participated in a prominent heavy metal festival in Zagreb in 1983.
Their 1983 album Madbringer, released under the name Orange to appeal to international audiences and performed entirely in English, achieved limited commercial success despite featuring provocative songs like "Honey Let Me Feel Your Pussy." In 1985, they put out Orange III, which combined English and Slovenian lyrics and introduced Šefik Kardumović as the new vocalist. The group disbanded in 1986.
Pomaranča briefly reassembled in 1988 to support dissident Janez Janša and reunited again in 1990 as the opening act for Alice Cooper's Zagreb concert. In 1993, they released a compilation titled Nekaj paklenskih, containing previously unreleased tracks. Their final studio album, Takoj se dava dol (1995), featured original drummer Franc Teropšič alongside new singer Boris Krmac.
Following the cessation of regular band activities in the late 1990s, Popovič shifted his focus toward composing music for children. The band occasionally performed live thereafter, including shows in 2001 and 2019 with vocalist Matic Nareks. Members also appeared in the 2017 documentary Železne stopinje, which documented the history of Slovenian heavy metal.
Drummer Franc Teropšič passed away in September 2022, with bassist Marko Herak dying the following month. In 2024, Popovič revived Pomaranča with Tomas Žontar, Matic Nareks, Tilen Hudrap, and Matjaž Winkler. They released the single "Vse pesmi kličejo za njo" and played a sold-out concert at Ljubljana's Kino Šiška. In June 2025, former vocalist Boris Krmac died, followed three weeks later by Popovič’s death at age 67, after which Pomaranča discontinued all activities.
Studio albums
- Peklenska pomaranča (1981)
- Madbringer (1983)
- Orange III (1985)
- Takoj se dava dol (1995)
Compilations
- Nekaj peklenskih (1993)
Singles
- "Soldat" / "Mladost" (1980)
- "Alkohol" / "Goba zla" (1981)
- "Mleko z noži" / "Krvave čipke" (1981)
- "Vse pesmi kličejo za njo" (2024)