Skyforger

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)

References

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

Category:Muisical groups established in 1995
Category:Latvie black metal muisical groups
Category:Latvie fowk metal muisical groups