Urskumug
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Riga, Latvia | |
| Genre(s) | Black metal | |
| Years active | 2002 - present | |
| Label(s) | Haarbn Productions (2006) Ledo Takas Records (2006–present) |
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| Website | Urskumug at MySpace | |
Urskumug is a Latvian black metal band. The band describes their music as Tribal Black metal. It basically sounds like raw, thrashy black metal with a few folky and atmospheric elements thrown in for flavour. The band is also well known for their performances wearing stage outfit reminiscent of the Stone Age.
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[edit] Biography
In Riga, Latvia 2001 the duo of Krauklis (guitar/vocals) and Slayorda (keyboards), soon joined by Maero (guitar), formed a band named Raven. The sound of the band has evolved towards a rapid and atmospheric black metal hailstorm, with the aim of avoiding live drums and relying on the impeccable soul of the drum machine instead.
[edit] Urskumug
In 2002 the band changed its name Raven to Urskumug, a name which represents the primordial mythago and the earliest stage of the so-called human character, depicted as a bear/boar-like creature, half-animal and half-human, in a cycle of mythopoetical fantasy fiction novels, written by the English author Robert Holdstock.
During the first years of existence Urskumug had found drum machine and synth too limiting and tried out a number of other musicians, however none met the conditions vital to remain with the band.
Late 2002 saw the band's first live appearances and rehearsal/studio recordings. The song When Water Becomes Ice was featured in the only Latvian metal compilation CD and in August 2003 Urskumug entered the infamous Phoenix Studio in Riga to record its first album Pāreja (eng., Passage). The self-released demo CD received an excellent response and estabilished Urskumug among the most popular metal bands in Latvia.
The next 2 years saw the band playing shows, working on songs and looking out for the missing links in the chain. At the beginning of 2005 the group was rewarded, after a long search, when Kriviks (ex-Moonveil) joined the group as a permanent bass player. Unfortunately, in Autumn 2005 keyboardist Slayorda left the band, but his replacement was found soon when Draake, former keyboardist of the Latvian dragon metal legends Heresiarh, joined the band.
Soon thereafter Urskumug signed a deal with the Lithuanian label Ledo Takas Records and went into the studio again. A little later Ledo Takas Records released the second full Urskumug album Am Nodr (eng., The Other Side) a tribal black metal cycle, representing the seeker's inner spiritual journey and exploring the subjects of Shamanism, Time and the Shadow.
[edit] Current members
- Krauklis - guitars, drum programming, vocals (Session member of Dark Domination)
- Maero - guitars, drum programming
- Balrogh - session live drums (Kaspars of Huskvarn, ex-Necromancer, ex-Hell Patrol, ex-Mutilate Myself, ex-Animā)
[edit] Former members
- Midgard - drums (Nycticorax, Dark Domination)
- Bezerker - bass
- Slayorda - keyboards
- Kriviks - bass, effects (ex-Moonveil
- Draake (aka Morgrvrs) - keyboards, effects, additional vocals (ex-Heresiarh)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums (Studio)
- Pāreja - Demo CDr February 2004, self-released. Later reissued by Haarbn Productions in 2006 as a full length album in digipack format with different cover and bonus videoclip on "Warriors End". Limited to 500 copies.
- Am Nodr - Full length LP/CD April 30th 2006, Ledo Takas Records
