Friends, we have a good surprise for you! SKYFORGER is preparing a unique performance at the Baltic culture and extreme music festival KILKIM ŽAIBU XXIII. This upcoming concert will mark the first time since 2000 that we will dedicate an entire performance to our second album “Latviešu strēlnieki”.
Festival KILKIM ŽAIBU will take place between June 29th and July 1st at the lands of the historical estate of president Antanas Smetona in Ukmergė district, Lithuania. There will be a chance to enjoy also such bands as “Sodom”, “Electric Wizard”, “Septicflesh”, “Asphyx”, “Midnight” and many more.
Hey friends! During the wintertime we haven’t been idle, let’s take a look back at summer, here’s live video from our show at Wacken Open Air. More vids are coming, subscribe to our Youtube channel and give some 👍 Thanx!
HELLHAMMER played by Tom Gabriel Warrior’s TRIUMPH OF DEATH + ROTTING CHRIST + NIFELHEIM + NAGLFAR + 1914 + MISÞYRMING + MEPHORASH + HERETOIR + LUCIFER’S CHILD + WHITE WARD + ENISUM + IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT + MERRIMACK + DREAD SOVEREIGN + more bands tba.
“Lec, eglīte” is an ancient Latvian song addressed to the fir tree to jump, leap and dance. It has been sung in many forms and versions for several centuries as a part of the traditional Latvian wedding, at the moment of bringing the bride to the groom. Also, “Eglīte” is a basic percussion instrument. In Latvian mythology, the evergreen fir tree represents eternal life, and is revered as a boundary marker between this world and the one beyond. Traditionally, wedding itself was seen as an act of dying as a young girl and boy and being reborn as a married woman and man. Fir twigs and branches were used to adorn the bride’s homestead, as well as her seat at the end of the table during the wedding feast, with the mythological purpose of keeping ill-wishers and evil people away, who would just prick their fingers and leave the bride unharmed.
Skandinieki
Kristīne Neikena, director of the clip, says: “We have known the group Skyforger for a long time, and we gladly agreed to make a video for the new song “Lec, eglīte”.
One of the guiding principles of the clip’s message was to show strong husbands and productive wives in action in a typical Latvian environment, which should serve as a reminder to everyone that only with a strong backbone and the ability to take responsibility can we protect the values, traditions and land of the Latvian people. The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia is an excellent place through which to convey this message. The filming process took place for three days and one night. We are grateful to everyone who participated in the creation of the project.”
The single features Pēteris KVETKOVSKIS on rhythm guitar, Edgars GRABOVSKIS on bass and vocals, Alvis BERNĀNS on solo guitar, Jānis OSIS on drums, Edgars ZILBERTS on kokle, as well as Geoffroy DELL’ARIA on bagpipes and whistles. Vocals by SKANDINIEKI, recorded and engineered by Gints LUNDBERGS and Andris ZAČS.
Skyforger
SKYFORGER also wish to remind you about their only major open-air show in Latvia this summer, on 10 September at the Mežaparks Song festival grounds in Riga.
Joining the band at the first-ever heavy metal show thundering on from the brand new stage will be their good friends VILKAČI, the folk and ancient martial arts collective, folk singers DELVE and more fellow travellers.
Befitting the venue, the grand two hour show will feature unexpected musical surprises and several guest performances, as well as an impressive light show.
Latvian folk metal giants SKYFORGER unveil Jump, Fir Tree, their latest collaboration with fellow pagans from the folk collective SKANDINIEKI.
SKYFORGER vocalist Peter says, “One day, Julgī STALTE, the mastermind behind the SKANDINIEKI collective, asked me if we wanted to join them in a song that they have been performing through the years. And so, there it is, our version of Jump, Fir Tree, a folk song beloved by every Latvian that we made a little bit heavier. In the meantime, we have been busy recording our new album and I’m glad to report that things are slowly moving to the final stretch. We are a bit behind schedule due to changes in our line-up and daily works, but hopefully it should all be done some time next year!”
“Lec, eglīte” is an ancient Latvian song addressed to the fir tree to jump, leap and dance. It has been sung in many forms and versions for several centuries as a part of the traditional Latvian wedding, at the moment of bringing the bride to the groom. Also, “Eglīte” is a basic percussion instrument. In Latvian mythology, the evergreen fir tree represents eternal life, and is revered as a boundary marker between this world and the one beyond. Traditionally, wedding itself was seen as an act of dying as a young girl and boy and being reborn as a married woman and man. Fir twigs and branches were used to adorn the bride’s homestead, as well as her seat at the end of the table during the wedding feast, with the mythological purpose of keeping ill-wishers and evil people away, who would just prick their fingers and leave the bride unharmed.
“May a new day always come! Wedding is a celebration of hope. It is a manifestation of your own initiation journey that is now complete, and you – reborn. No longer a young boy or girl, but a man or woman, fully committed to your family, your people and your land. Ready and willing to take charge of the reality, with responsibility and honour,” adds Julgī STALTE, the creative leader of the SKANDINIEKI folk collective. “The most important thing, I think, is to stand tall and keep building a better tomorrow. A tomorrow where weddings and baby showers are celebrated and the wisdom of our forebears is held dear. Our land needs men who are ready to stake their claim to this life. Our land needs women who have realised their full potential and power. And so, we, as musicians, put our time, our skill and our voices together and chant – Jump, Fir Tree!”
The single features Pēteris KVETKOVSKIS on rhythm guitar, Edgars GRABOVSKIS on bass and vocals, Alvis BERNĀNS on solo guitar, Jānis OSIS on drums, Edgars ZILBERTS on kokle, as well as their frequent live performer Geoffroy DELL’ARIA on bagpipes and whistles. Vocals by SKANDINIEKI, recorded and engineered by Gints LUNDBERGS.
Last but not least, SKYFORGER are thrilled to bring their first-ever show to the 31st edition of the legendary Wacken Open Air festival already the next weekend. This festival takes place in North Germany near Hamburg and welcomes around 90 thousand fans from around the planet every year for an unforgettable celebration of heavy metal.
SKYFORGER also wish to remind you about their only major open-air show in Latvia this summer, on 10 September at the Mežaparks Song festival grounds in Riga.
Joining the band at the first-ever heavy metal show thundering on from the brand new stage will be their good friends VILKAČI, the folk and ancient martial arts collective, folk singers DELVE and more fellow travellers.
Befitting the venue, the grand two hour show will feature unexpected musical surprises and several guest performances, as well as an impressive light show.
Friends, we are glad to inform that Skyforger is confirmed for biggest heavy metal festival in the world WACKEN OPEN AIR, which will take place 4th to 6th August in Germany.
What to do if you have no ticket for W:O:A 2022. Register at the Wacken Ticketcenter at: https://ticketcenter.wacken.com There you will find offers from other fans who are selling tickets at the original price.
Friends! We have published the first song “Rāmava” from our recent performance in Ogre. We hope that music can help and inspire in these difficult times. The full recording of the concert will follow later.
It is the last day of the year, and we would like to say a thunderous “thank you” to all our fans for their continuous support in these not so easy times, with their presence at this summer’s concerts, as well as in any other way!
For a better festive mood, you can visit the website of the Cultural Information Systems Center “Diva.lv” and watch a fresh video recording of the SKYFORGER folk music program “Sword Song” at the ethno festival “Sviests” in Valmiermuiža on August 28. The French bagpiper Geoffroy Dell’Aria from Belgium joined the group as a special guest for the festival.
The recording of the concert was made within the framework of the project “Digitization of Cultural Heritage Content (Round 2)” co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Many thanks to the organizers of the event Daina Zalāne and Juris Zalāns, producer Daina Markova and video director Gints Fārenhorsts!
2 Jours de folk / pagan et black metal 
