Skyforger

Skyforger

Skyforger is a folk metal band from Latvia which was formed in 1995 out of the remains of doom metal band Grindmaster's Death. Most of their songs are about pagan gods and warfare, as well as traditional Latvian folk songs and their metal covers. Although Skyforger is known for their folk metal tradition, their style overlaps with black and death metal in later albums. The band also has performed and recorded a number of non-metal folk songs, as was the case with their fourth album Zobena Dziesma (Swordsong),launched in 2003, which is a pure folk album. Folk elements can be found on all of their albums. Skyforger is also one of the best-known folk/pagan metal bands in Europe. In December, 2005, during the presentation of their latest album, Semigalls' Warchant (2005), the band announced their next album would be rather an experimentation with thrash-metal, which was somewhat of a dissapoinment to pagan blackmetal fans. However, they pointed out, that Latvian history still has enough untold stories, meaning their lyrics will probably retain their distinct folk/pagan fashion.

Skyforger was also involved in a minor scandal with one of their former producers, who believed they were affiliated with Neo-nazism. (see Skyforger's Official website) The reason for this was the cover of their album "Thunderforge" (depicts a pagan god striking an anvil, bearing a pendant of a resemblance to depictions of Nazi "ancient Aryans"), as well as the swastika, or sunwheel, incorporated in Skyforger's logo. Some websites have therefore listed Skyforger as a Neo-nazi band. The band denies any such claims and doesn't display any Nazistic tendencies in their lyrics, meaning the scandal was most likely a result of the producer's poor knowledge of ancient Indo-European symbols.

Members

• Pēteris Kvetkovskis - vocals, guitar, Latvian folk instruments
• Edgars Grabovskis - bass guitar, backing vocals, Latvian folk instruments
• Edgars Krūmiņš - drums, percussion
• Kaspars Bārbals - Latvian folk instruments, backing vocals
• Rihards Skudrîtis - guitar

Former members:

• Mārtiņš Pētersons - guitar (1995)
• Viesturs Grīnbergs - guitar (1995 - 1996)
• Konstantīns Švedovs - vocals (1995 - 1996)
• Linda Bēce - flute (1995 - 1997)
• Imants Vovers - drums (1995 - 1998)
• Girts "Motors" Kļaviņš - guitar (2004 - 2006)

Discography

• Semigall's Warchant (1997) (demo)
• Kauja pie Saules (Battle of the Saule) (1998)
• Latviešu Strēlnieki (Latvian Riflemen) (1999) (dedicated to the 80th Anniversary of Latvian War of Liberation of 1919, in which the Latvian Riflemen actively took part)
• Pērkonkalve (Thunderforge) (2003) (the album that involved Skyforger in a scandal with their producer, who considered album's CD cover to bear Nazi symbols)
• Zobena Dziesma (Sword Song) (2003) (the album contains mostly unaltered Latvian folk songs)
• Semigalls' Warchant (2005) (re-release of the 1997 demo with additional 4 new songs)

External links

• SKYFORGER
• Latvian website
• Template:Last.fm