Svartby

Important things you should know about SVARTBY:

• SVARTBY is a band from Saint-Petersburg, Russia that plays vivid, merry and brutal folk-metal in Swedish and English. The lyrics tell about wild magical creatures living in 'Svartby' (the fictional Black Village) - witches, imps, dwarfs - definitely unkind to human folk, but at the same time merry, nature-loving and nice living beings with a good sense of humor.


• SVARTBY doesn't have a single song about trolls. There are enough bands that devote themselves to the trolls' theme, so we make our own world and our own creatures.


• SVARTBY believes in tits, beer and rock'n'roll! The band and its members are NOT involved in any religious, political or social communities, parties, ideas and movements. The band's lyrics are Giftsvamp's scary and funny fairy-tales without any hidden deep sense.


• Therefore: never, never, never call us 'pagan' or 'viking'! Or why not call us 'catholic voodoo crusaders' or 'orthodox socialists'? :) In fact, we're not even folk enough :)


• Therefore, you shouldn't expect from us all the shit that you usually expect from a common folk-metal band. We use orchestral instruments' synths in our music (that sometimes sound 'folky'), but SVARTBY plays brutal, vivid and merry metal soundtrack for an evil fairy-tale and calls it 'SVARTCORE'. The 'style' name refers to that mysterious 'villain' musical scent you can find in our songs. Official SVARTBY's motto is SVARTCORE TILL DEATH!

Svartby's chronicles

2003
- Giftsvamp starts playing keyboards after a 4-year break – with thoughts of dark magical creatures. So echoes of melodies were born.
- Brutal death band NORDLICHT (Giftsvamp – bass, Lindwurm - guitars) get acquainted with a rock-n-roll band RROLL and future SVARTBY frontman Torhall.

2004
- Melodies become songs, ideas become lyrics
- Lindwurm and Giftsvamp quit NORDLICHT and SVARTBY is formed in June.
- Hemskalf is employed to sing clear vocals and be the second guitar
- Torhall joins the band in August
- Somna joins the band in October, 10

2005
- First demo-EP 'Kom I Min Kittel' recorded in February
- SVARTBY’s first gig in June
- Hemskalf leaves SVARTBY in October
- Hök joins SVARTBY in October, 10
- First SVARTBY gig with Hök in October, 28

2006
- SVARTBY starts recording debuting album
- Great gig activity

2007
- First gig outside Saint-Petersburg in June. SVARTBY becomes a touring band
- 'Kom I Min Kittel' album, devoted to witches of the Black Village, is released at FONO Records in July
- SVARTBY records new 5-track EP 'Tomte'. It tells a story about a tomte, who left the human house for living with Svartby's dwarfs.
- EP 'Tomte' is available for free downloading in November, 28
- 'Skogens Ursinne' song is included into 'Pagan Battle Tunes' compilation cd

2008
- 'Kom I Min Kittel' (the witch album) is released in Europe by Trollzorn label in February.
- SVARTBY is signed at Trollzorn in July
- The band records new album 'Riv, Hugg och Bit', devoted to the bearded hard-drinking dwarves of the Black Village

2009
- 'Humus' song is included into Metal Hammer's “Battle Metal VIII” compilation cd.
- Hök, Somna and Torhall leave the band in Summer and concentrate on their side groove-metal project Free At Last
- Fenrir becomes new drummer
- 'Riv, Hugg och Bit' (the dwarf album) is released at Trollzorn label in August, 29

2010
- Skrik becomes new frontman/bass
- Humla becomes the second guitar
- EP 'Scum from Underwater' is released and free to download
- Fenrir is fired from Svartby, the band plays gigs with a session drummer

2011
- Skrik is fired from the band
- SVARTBY records its third full length labum 'Elemental Tales', devoted to imps of the 6 elements. Guest musicians record parts of vocals, bass and drums