Skyforger

Skyforger
Background information
Oreigin	Riga, Latvie
Genres	Fowk metal Black metal
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Metal Blade Records, Folter Records, Mascot Records
Wabsteid	www.skyforger.lv/
Members	Pēteris Kvetkovskis Edgars Grabovskis Edgars Krūmiņš Kaspars Bārbals Mārtiņš Pētersons
Past members	Viesturs Grīnbergs Konstantīns Švedovs Linda Bēce Imants Vovers Rihards Skudrītis Ģirts "Motors" Kļaviņš

Skyforger is a Fowk metal baund frae Latvie. As weel as their ain sangs that's for ordinar anent pagan gods, Latvie history an war; the baund aften kivers tradeetional Latvie fowk sangs as weel as kiverin metal staundarts.

History

Skyforger begoud in 1995 wi the umwhile members o a spleet baund cried Grindmaster's Death, an pit oot their first demo twa year efter. The demo won thaim a record contract, an the follaein year they pit oot their first fou-lenth album, Kauja pie Saules (Sco: The Battle o the Saule). In 1999, for tae merk the aichtiet year efter the Latvian War o Unthirldom, they pit oot Latviešu Strēlnieki (Sco: Latvie Riflemen) that wis anent an dedicate tae the Latvie Riflemen that teuk a muckle pairt in that war. The maist diferent soondin o their albums wis Zobena Dziesma (Sco: Swuirdsang) in 2003 that wis aw fowk muisic wi nae metal in it ava.

Tho the baund haed aye taen a wheen o tift frae Black metal, their album Semigalls' Warchant (2005, maistlins a re-release o their 1997 demo, but wi fower new sangs) haed a wheen mair tift frae Thrash metal, tho the leerics wis aye anent Lativan history an paganism as aye.

Controversy

Due tae their uiss o auncient pagan seembols, the baund wis inrowed in a scaudnal. Tho the baund haes aye gane oot their gate tae pynt oot that they arna poleetical in ony wey, their uiss o seembols sic as the swastika, or sunwheel, wis misread bi some fowk as a Neo-Nazi statment. The producer o the Pērkonkalve (Sco:Thunnerforge) album jaloused they war allee'd wi Neo-Nazism an quat warkin wi thaim. Sinsyne, the baund haes chynged their logo sae that the sunwheel isna pairt o it ony langer, forby pittin a statement on the back o their first twa albums sayin "No Nazi stuff here!". The baund sees thaimsels as patriotic, but no poleetical ava.

Line-up

Members

• Pēteris Kvetkovskis - vocals, guitar an Latvie fowk instruments
• Edgars Grabovskis - bass guitar, backgrund vocals, Latvie fowk instruments
• Edgars Krūmiņš - drums, percussion
• Kaspars Bārbals - Latvie fowk instruments, backgrund vocals
• Rihards Skudrîtis - guitar

Umwhile Members

• Mārtiņš Pētersons - guitar
• Viesturs Grīnbergs - guitar
• Konstantīns Švedovs - vocals
• Linda Bēce - fluit
• Imants Vovers - drums
• Girts "Motors" Kļaviņš - guitar

Discography

Demos

• Semigall's Warchant (1997) (demo)

Albums

• Kauja pie Saules (Sco: Battle o the Saule) (1998)
• Latviešu Strēlnieki]] (Sco: Latvian Riflemen) (1999)
• Pērkonkalve (Sco: Thunnerforge) (2003)
• Zobena Dziesma (Sco: Swuird Sang) (2003)
• Semigalls' Warchant (2005) (re-release o the 1997 demo wi fower new sangs eikit)
• Kurbads (2010)
• Senprūsija (Old Prussia) (2015)

Fremmit airtins

• Skyforger offeecial wabsteid
• Skyforger page at Encyclopaedia Metallum, wi fou leerics, reviews etc.