Ukraine doesn’t really have a glorious metal tradition. Actually, it has always been quite an isolated place for this kind of music. But in the past few years a small but bright metal scene bloomed into existence and a couple of very talented young bands are trying to spread their name around the world.
In the past few weeks you may have heard of the band Joncofy. From Kiev, these guys won the competition for the jingle of the Euroblast 9 trailer with a huge tune (listen below), defeating a lot of talented acts in the process. It has also been announced that they’ll be playing at this summer’s UK Tech-Metal Fest in Peterborough. In 2012, they did a small tour through Germany supporting Scar Symmetry and Akeldama. They also played at Euroblast 8. So through trying to spread their sound all over Europe they’ve getting some good results. So far they’ve released a single EP called “Rorschach Inkblots”. It’s available for FREE download right here!
Links: Facebook // Official Website // Youtube
Another upcoming Ukrainian band is TSAARS. This group is going to release their second EP “Foreword” on April 12th. They recently uploaded a lyric video for the first song “Nightmares” via Beheading The Traitor. The song features a guest appearance from Sam Gitiban, vocalist of Novallo, singing a perfect clean part over the crazy mathcore assault delivered by the band. Keep an eye on these guys and be sure to scope out their forthcoming release!
Links: Facebook // Soundcloud // Bandcamp // Merch
But Ukraine’s heaviest shit is coming from Donetsk. Noja is probably the most known name of the local djent/math underground. Their long awaited debut EP “The Great Purpose” came out in January 2013 and it served as a smashing display of brutality. Five powerful tracks available for streaming on their Soundcloud page. Believe me, you wanna listen to this.
Links: Facebook // Twitter // Soundcloud // Youtube
As always, check back next week for more exploration and keep supporting your local scene!!
– MATTIA
