Skyforger

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Skyforger
Skyforger in December 2007 in Paris
Skyforger in December 2007 in Paris
General information
Genre (s) Pagan metal
founding 1995
Website http://www.skyforger.lv/
Founding members
Pēteris Kvetkovkis
Edgars Grabovskis ("Zirgs")
Imants Vovers (until 1998)
Linda Bēce (until 1997)
Mārtiņš Pētersons (until 1995)
Current occupation
Singing, guitar,
traditional instruments
 Pēteris Kvetkovkis
Bass, vocals,
traditional instruments
 Edgars Grabovskis ("Zirgs")
Guitar, vocals
 Alvis Bernāns (since 2014)
Drums
 Artūrs Jurjāns (since 2016)
former members
guitar
 Viesturs Grīnbergs (1995–1996)
singing
 Konstantīns Švedovs (1995–1996)
guitar
 Ģirts Kļaviņš (2004-2006)
Guitar, vocals
 Rihards Skudrītis
(1996–1999, 2000–2004, 2006–2008)
Traditional instruments
 Kaspars Bārbals (2004–2012)
Drums
 Edgars Krūmiņš (1998-2015)

Skyforger is a Latvian pagan metal band.

Band history

The band was formed in 1995 after the members had gained experience in various death metal bands. The forerunner band is the group Grindmaster Dead, founded in 1991, which combined traditional, raw death metal with folkloric sounds. In 1995 the decision was made to use a more Black Metal-heavy sound and to write the lyrics in Latvian in future, which is why the Russian-speaking singer Kostik left the band. Then the band name was changed to Skyforger.

style

music

Skyforger's music initially combined elements of Baltic folk and Norwegian black metal . The music on the demo recording is mainly held at a medium tempo, in the Tales of the Macabre the style of their demo recording was described as "Nordic but tamed" and the vocals as a mixture of Rob Darken from Graveland and Attila Csihar from Tormentor .

With the later albums the sound became clearer and the black metal influences increasingly replaced by elements of classic heavy metal of the 1980s. Especially on the spa , fast, heavily guitar-heavy parts alternate with slow and very melodic pieces.

Texts

The texts in Latvian deal with aspects of Latvian history , the Latvian people and regional mythology . Semigalls' Warchant and Kauja pie Saules address the resistance of the Lithuanians and Semigals against the Order of the Brothers of the Sword and in particular the victory over them in the Battle of Saule (1236). Latviešu strelnieki is dedicated to the Latvian men who fought in the Russian army during the First World War . The following albums deal largely with Latvian mythology .

The group had a swastika in the band logo until 2007 , but distances itself from right-wing extremist ideas and describes itself as apolitical.

gallery

  • Band members at the Dark Troll Festival 2018

  • Singer and guitarist Pēteris

  • Guitarist Alvis

  • Bassist Edgars "Zirgs"

  • Drummer Artūrs

Discography

  • Semigalls' Warchant (demo, 1997; re-release with bonus tracks in 2005)
  • Kauja pie Saules / Battle of the Saule (1998)
  • Latviešu strelnieki / Latvian Riflemen (2000)
  • Perkonkalve / Thunderforge (2003)
  • Zobena Dziesma / Sword Song (2003)
  • Spa baths (2010)
  • Senprūsija (2015)

Web links

Commons : Skyforger  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ SKYFORGER BIOGRAPHY
  2. ↑ a b SKYFORGER "Semigalls Warchant" . In: Tales of the Macabre , No. 5.
  3. ↑ SKYFORGER FAQ .