Skyforger is a heavy metal band from

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

which was formed in 1995 out of the remains of

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

band Grindmaster Dead.

Musical style and lyrical themes

Most of their songs are about Baltic mythology and warfare; they also play

Latvian folk songs Latvian may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Latvia **Latvians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to what is modern-day Latvia and the immediate geographical region **Latvian language Latvian ( ), also known as Lettish, is an Easter ...

and their metal arrangements. Although Skyforger is known for their folk metal, the style on their demo ' is essentially

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...

. The band also has performed and recorded a number of folk songs, including the entirety of their acoustic fourth album ', released in 2003. Folk elements can be found on all of their albums. In December 2005, during the presentation of their album, ''Semigalls' Warchant'', the band announced their next album would be experimentation with

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

. They later pointed out that Latvian history still has enough untold stories, meaning their lyrics will retain their folk/pagan fashion.

History

In 2010, Skyforger signed with American label

Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...

and released their 5th studio album '' Kurbads'' about the deeds of mythical Latvian warrior , son of

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

. The album received 2010

Annual Latvian Music Recording Award The Annual Latvian Music Recording Award ( lv, Latvijas Mūzikas ierakstu gada balva) is the annual award for the best Latvian musicians. The award was established in 1995 (for music on 1994) under the name Mikrofona Gada Balva (Microphone of the ...

as the best rock album, as well as the 2010 Latvian Metal Music Award as the best metal album with Skyforger also winning the "Best Metal Band" category. Skyforger was featured on

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

's series "Close-Up" episode on Latvian folk music. In 2015, the band released their 6th studio album titled ' dedicated to the now extinct Baltic people Old Prussians. Two of the album's songs are sung in Old Prussian (''Ei skīja, skīja'' and ''Rāmava''), while the rest are in Latvian. For the writing of the album, Skyforger recruited historian Agris Dzenis as a historical consultant. After releasing the album, the band embarked on a European tour on April 8. In 2016, ''Senprūsija'' received the

as the best hard rock/heavy metal album of 2015. In 2016, Skyforger also re-issued their 2003 album ''Zobena dziesma'' with 2 additional songs. On June 3, 2017, Skyforger performed a one-time multi-media concert – metal opera "Kurbads. The Son of The Mare" – at Lielezers open-air stage in

Limbaži Limbaži (, et, Lemsalu, german: Lemsal, liv, Limbaž) is a town in the Vidzeme region of northern Latvia. Limbaži is located 90 km northeast of the capital Riga. The population is 6888 people. During the Middle Ages, as part of Livonia, ...

as a part of a programme for

100th Anniversary of the Latvian Republic The 100th Anniversary of the Latvian Republic ( lv, Latvijas valsts simtgade) also commercialized as Latvia 100 (''Latvija 100'') is a national event in Latvia celebrating the country's 100th anniversary since its 1918 establishment. The main ce ...

. On February 14, 2018, the performance was awarded Kilogram of Culture award as the "Surprise of the Year". On June 17, 2018, Skyforger played a special concert at the festival '' Zobens un Lemess'' commemorating the 20th anniversary since the release of their first full-length album ' in 1998. On 18 November 2018, the centenary for the proclamation of Latvia, Skyforger released a video directed by Kristīne Neikena and starring actress for their song ''Nekas nav aizmirsts'' from album ''Senprūsija''.

Controversy

Skyforger was involved in some controversy with one of their former producers who believed they were affiliated with

Neo-Nazism Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...

. The reason for this was the cover of their album ''

Pērkoņkalve ''Pērkoņkalve'' (''Thunderforge'') is Skyforger's third full-length album. It was recorded and mixed from late 2002 to early 2003 at the Phoenix Studios and released on 1 June 2003 by Folter Records. The official presentation of the album took ...

'', which depicts

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

god of thunder Polytheistic peoples from many cultures have postulated a thunder god, the personification or source of the forces of thunder and lightning; a lightning god does not have a typical depiction, and will vary based on the culture. In Indo-European c ...

Pērkons wearing a belt buckle adorned with a

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...

and striking an

anvil An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked"). Anvils are as massive as practical, because the higher th ...

, as well as the swastika incorporated in Skyforger's logo. Some websites had therefore listed Skyforger as a Neo-Nazi band. The band addressed the controversy on their website, writing:

Members

;Current members * – lead vocals, guitar, kokles,

stabule Stabule, also known as stebule or stabuļa. is a Latvian woodwind instrument. The name can apply to variety of wind instruments, but in general sense it is a pipe with 4-8 finger holes. These instruments are 1.5–2.5 cm in diameter and can ...

(1995–present) * ("Zirgs") – bass guitar, backing vocals, ģīga (1995–present) *Alvis Bernāns – guitar (2014–present) *Jānis Osis – drums, percussion (2022–present) ;Former members * – drums, backing vocals (1995–1998) * – guitar, backing vocals (1996–2000, 2001–2004, 2006–2008) * ("Mazais") – drums, percussion (1998–2015) * –

dūdas ''Dūdas'' or ''somas stabules'' is a type of bagpipe native to Latvia, popular from the 16th to 18th centuries. History The instrument is believed to have first appeared in Livonia in the 15th century, with the first documentary evidence of ...

, kokles, backing vocals (2004–2012) * – guitar, backing vocals (2000–2001, 2008–2010) * Ģirts Kļaviņš ("Motors") – guitar, backing vocals (2004–2006) * Egons Kronbergs – guitar (2010–2013) * Artūrs Jurjāns – drums, percussion (2016–2022)

Timeline

Gallery

Skyforger Dark Troll 2018 01.jpg, Singer and guitarist Pēteris Skyforger Dark Troll 2018 03.jpg, Guitarist Alvis Skyforger Dark Troll 2018 05.jpg, Bass player Edgars Skyforger Dark Troll 2018 10.jpg, Drummer Artūrs

Discography

* ' (1997; demo) * ' (1998) * ' (2000) * ''

'' (''Thunderforge'') (2003) * ' (2003; acoustic album) * ''Semigalls' Warchant'' (2005; expanded re-release) * ''Zobena Dziesma'' (2006; expanded re-release) * '' Kurbads'' (2010) * ' (2015) * ''Senprūsija Live'' (2015;

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

)

References

External links

*
Zobena dziesma
{{Authority control Latvian heavy metal musical groups Latvian black metal musical groups Latvian folk metal musical groups Latvian folk music groups Metal Blade Records artists Musical groups established in 1995