Swans are an American experimental rock band formed in 1982 by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. One of few acts to emerge from the New York City-based no wave scene and stay intact into the next decade, Swans have become recognized for an ever-changing sound, exploring genres such as noise rock, post-punk, industrial and post-rock. Initially, their music was known for its sonic brutality and misanthropic lyrics. Following the addition of singer, songwriter and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to incorporate melody and intricacy into their music. Jarboe remained the band's only constant member except Gira and semi-constant guitarist Norman Westberg until their dissolution in 1997.
Moonsorrow is a Finnish pagan metal band formed in Helsinki in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound. The band call their sound "epic heathen metal" and try to distance themselves from the term "Viking metal". They have distanced themselves from other folk metal bands, emphasising that their music is pagan and spiritual and is challenging for its listeners, rather than happy or danceable. The band members have varying levels of pagan belief but they draw on pagan spirituality for lyrics and inspiration.
Ukrainian rock is rock music from Ukraine.
Drudkh is a Ukrainian black metal band. It currently consists of Roman Saenko, Thurios, Krechet, and Vlad. All four also belonged to Blood of Kingu until it was disbanded. Their lyrics and artistic themes embrace Slavic mythology and Ukrainian nationalism. The band is associated with far-right politics, but rejects any explicit connection to a political ideology. Many of the band's lyrics are derived from the works of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Ukrainian poets and especially Taras Shevchenko.
Temple of Blood is an American Christian metal band, based out of Huntsville, Alabama. Musically, they are influenced by the thrash metal music of bands like Annihilator and Megadeth and the traditional heavy metal music by bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. The band's name is derived from 1 Corinthians 6:19 and according to the band's vocalist: "the idea of our bodies being temples of flesh and blood to God".
Tumulus is a Russian progressive folk metal band from Yaroslavl, Russia. They were formed from the ashes of cult doom metal/viking metal band Scald, after the death of Scald's frontman Agyl. From the beginning, Tumulus moved away from Scald's doom metal roots and played folk metal, combining metal music with traditional Russian folk and incorporated instruments as flute, tambourine and balalaika.
Holy Blood is a folk metal band from Kiev, Ukraine, formed in 1999. The band is notable for being one of the few Christian bands in its genre, and the fact that they are the most successful group on its label Bombworks Records, and the band has been noted worldwide despite being an underground group. Holy Blood has released six albums: The Wanderer, Waves Are Dancing, The Patriot, Shining Sun, Day of Vengeance and Voice of Blood.
Waves Are Dancing is the second studio album by Ukrainian folk metal band Holy Blood, released in 2005. The band's and their label's best selling album, Waves saw the band moving even further towards the highly melodic folk metal style while still keeping the black metal elements, particularly the thin and high-pitched shrieking vocals. In 2010, HM Magazine ranked it #88 on the Top 100 Christian metal albums of all-time list.
Alkonost is a Russian epic folk metal band formed in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russia in 1995.
Deus Invictus is an extreme metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, started in 2005 by former drummer of The Chariot, Jeff Carter. The band's current line-up consists of Nicholas Shacklette ( Guitar/Vocals), Bradley Wood (Bass), and Jeff Carter (Drums/Vocals). The band signed to Bombworks Records, an indie metal label based out of Seattle, Washington, in 2007.
Kauan is an atmospheric doom metal/post-rock band from Chelyabinsk, Russia formed in 2005.
Blood of the Martyrs is an American Christian metal band from Farmville, Virginia, formed in 2007, and currently has two official studio albums.
Day of Vengeance is the fifth studio album by Ukrainian folk metal band Holy Blood. It was released on December 31, 2014 in Russia through Musica Production and on May 18, 2015 in the rest of the world through Bombworks Records.
Ukrainian metal is the heavy metal music scene of Ukraine. The most common Ukrainian heavy metal subgenres are black, pagan, folk and death metal. The most popular and well-known bands are black metal bands Drudkh, Nokturnal Mortum, Khors, death metal bands Fleshgore, Firelake, folk metal bands Tin Sontsia, Veremiy and Jinjer, a metalcore band. Among the biggest festivals are Metal Heads Mission, Carpathian Alliance, Global East (Kyiv), ProRock (Kyiv). Media: among some old and established on ex-USSR territory paper magazines like Terroraiser, Atmosfear there is also English-language portal Antichrist magazine.
Omen is the fourth studio album by the Norwegian Christian extreme metal band Antestor, released by Bombworks Records on November 16, 2012. Recording began in 2011, and was mostly conducted at the home of vocalist Ronny Hansen. The album cover is a painting by Polish artist Zdzisław Beksiński, and depicts a deformed, many-fingered humanoid creature playing a trumpet. Antestor met with critical praise for its musicianship and the progressive sound on the recording. Critics described the sound as primarily black metal, though the band prefers the more general term "extreme metal" to describe the sound on Omen.
A Hill To Die Upon is an American blackened death metal band from the Monmouth-Galesburg area of Illinois, formed in 2004 by the brothers Adam and R. Michael Cook. The brothers initially founded the band as hardcore project, but eventually started listening to death and black metal, which led them to transform their band's sound. Over the years, various musicians have filled out the band's lineup, which currently consists of the Cook brothers and Nolan Osmond. Signed to Bombworks Records, A Hill to Die Upon has released four albums – Infinite Titanic Immortal in 2009, Omens in 2011, Holy Despair in 2014, and Via Artis, Via Mortis in 2017 - all to a positive critical reception. In 2013, the band also released a stand-alone single, "Manden med Leen". Musically, the band is compared primarily to Behemoth as well as Immortal, Naglfar, and Old Man's Child, all of which the brothers cite as among their major influences. The brothers are Christian, but they distance themselves from calling A Hill to Die Upon a Christian metal band. Lyrical themes include mythology, war, philosophy, and despair, with references drawn from the Bible and numerous literary works and authors.
Bloodline Severed is a Christian metal band that originated in Charlotte and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The band started in 1998, and has toured with acts such as Battlecross, Aletheian, Phinehas and many more. The band is independent with their own label titled "Don't Need One Records".
Bombworks Records is a record label from McKinney, Texas, that formed in January 2004. The label would sign several bands, including Seventh Angel, A Hill to Die Upon, Grave Declaration and Crimson Thorn. The label started careers for bands such as Holy Blood.
Tortured Conscience is a Christian extreme metal band from San Francisco, California.
