Ukraine boasts an amazing music scene, including metal, punk rock and experimental electronic bands. These musicians have found a way to escape the control of Soviet government while still expressing their independence through art.
1914 is one such metal band whose lyrics deal with World War One; other notable metal acts include Castrum, Infected and Horizon.
Castrum
Castrum are one of the pillars of western Ukrainian death metal. Since 1994, they have been performing live, with three full-length albums to their name. Since their first performance they have demonstrated quick technical brutal death-grind. Furthermore, early works showcase medieval themes while more recently the band addressed social problems (their last full-length). Castrum are currently working on their fourth full-length release.
At first glance, this all-female Ukrainian death metal band may seem unlike most others from Ukraine in that they’re unafraid of getting political or controversial with their music. Their self-titled debut was released just before Ukraine’s war started and their music reflects it dark atmosphere – from Miss Revolt and Rastsarapaiu Ebalo being powerful riot-grrrl anthems, to It’s A Joke discussing victimization; their songs are powerful as they are angry.
The band members were all born into metal music and have spent their lives listening to it, which unites the group as one unit. Their passion for metal has lead them to work tirelessly on improving their playing and songwriting abilities while being inspired by various styles such as melodic death metal and thrash metal.
VYR, their latest release, is an atmospheric blackened death metal album that incorporates traditional instruments like the drymba and duda bagpipe-like pipes into its soundscape. The lyrics tell a tale of humanity after World War One; critics and fans alike have given VYR positive reviews. International recognition was earned via live performances as the band signed to Napalm Records – also planning to record an album this year.
Horizon
Brutal death metal remains dominant on Ukraine metal scene despite losing popularity elsewhere, represented by numerous collectives who produce strong releases; Bredor stands out due to their moody sound and signature womb growl; their live demo, mini album featuring 4 tracks, split with Corporal Raid from Italy as well as numerous live releases stand out among them all. Members have also played in other bands including Endocranial and StaliNO.
This all-female death metal band from Ukraine formed in 2014 and strives to inspire other female musicians by showing that gender should never stop them from creating heavy metal music. Their self-titled debut album contains many empowering messages such as Miss Revolt or the ex-partner shaming Rastsarapaiu Ebalo; all are guaranteed to motivate other female metalheads to form bands themselves and continue making metal music!
In 2020, the band released their second full-length album entitled Realms of Fire and Death as an elaborate conceptual work using strong story-telling, metaphors and symbols to tell an engaging tale in three major parts. Critics praised its unique musical style and lyrics as well as being highly enjoyable listening experience.
Dreams of Lands Unseen was released through Napalm Records in 2023, featuring various genres – death metal, black metal and electronic music. The album serves as a testament to Bring Me the Horizon’s members as they explored their sound further and created something truly original in metal music – aggressive past, soft present and electrocore future all coming together beautifully on one album that showcases Bring Me the Horizon’s growth while looking ahead into their promising future.
Endocranial
Endocranial is one of the best-known Ukrainian metal bands. Their dark yet seductive sound incorporates elements from black metal and death metal genres. Their music often explores themes associated with mortality, loss and darkness in human lives; many songs feature deep meanings while their music videos criticize Putin’s policies.
Fleshgore, formed in 2012 and currently active since 2013, is another well-recognized Ukrainian metal band. Their latest album Denial of the Scriptures is an atmospheric technical brutal death metal record with powerful yet despairful songs about social injustice and oppressive systems; from Miss Revolt’s riot-grrl anthem to Rastsarapaiu Ebalo’s brutal treatment of ex-partners Rastsarapaiu Ebalo’s lyrics are filled with raw emotions as well as personal empowerment – making Fleshgore an international success story
Ukrainian metal music has long been influenced by other genres besides heavy metal, including progressive rock and folk. One such band that exemplifies this is Sinoptik who released their debut EP 16/58 in 2014. They have since gone on to tour alongside Disturbia and Black Soul Man as well as having made an impressionful mark on Ukrainian music scene.
Velikhan from Ukraine has made waves internationally with their song, HERO. Their unique sound combines metal music with Middle Eastern melodies and vocals; as well as electronic influences. Velikhan have established themselves within the metal scene by signing with Napalm Records to release future material.
Agregat
The Ukrainian metal scene has been active for more than a decade and has given birth to many internationally acclaimed bands, such as Agregat. Agregat combines traditional death metal with elements of folk music and black metal, producing multiple albums such as Reign in Blood.
This album tells the tale of duality within our world, highlighting both human nature and mythological creatures as drivers for change. With 10 tracks that combine various genre influences into an immersive listening experience that feels similar to an OST soundtrack, the band have also performed at major European festivals including MetalDays and Leyendas del Rock.
Agregat’s sound is an amalgam of melodic death metal with progressive and black metal influences. Their songs combine lyrics and harmonies with heavy music for an intense experience that would appeal to fans of Meshuggah or Anathema, as well as energetic live concerts performances by this band.
Since 2000, this band has been active, amassing an extensive discography featuring five full-length albums and some mini-albums. They have performed in concerts both within Ukraine and further afield; currently signed to Napalm Records with two full-length releases: Hero and Cultrash already under their belts. Their current lineup consists of Sergey Ustavshikov (vocals), Konstantin Tuyev (bass guitars), and Aleksey Pereligin (guitar); they have released two full-length albums since then: Hero and Cultrash. Their current lineup also includes Sergey Ustavshikov (vocals), Konstantin Tuyev (bass guitars), and Aleksey Pereligin (guitar). They released music videos including their controversial anti-terrorism video “HERO”, and have released another song called Alga which references Crimean Tatar war calls as war crys to defend land by Crimean Tatars to defend their land defending it by making sure you all the right choices when choosing your service provider of choice.