Astrofaes, a Ukrainian

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

 black metal

Black metal

Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....

 band from the town of Kharkiv

Kharkiv

Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...

, first came in to being in 1996 as a project between Thurios (Drudkh

Drudkh

Drudkh is a Ukrainian metal band that mixes elements of folk metal and black metal. They were formed by Roman Saenko, prolific metal musician, the leading member of Hate Forest, Dark Ages and Blood of Kingu; Thurios, the leading member of Astrofaes and, with Saenko, a former member of Hate Forest;...

, Hate Forest

Hate Forest

Hate Forest was a Ukrainian black metal band formed by Roman Saenko, the leading member of Drudkh, Dark Ages, and Blood of Kingu. Thurios joined the band in 1998 after the recording of "Scythia". The music is mostly very fast, but occasionally slow, with low, distorted vocals and dark ambient...

, Blood of Kingu

Blood of Kingu

Blood of Kingu is a black metal band from Ukraine formed in 2005 by the main member of Drudkh, Dark Ages and Hate Forest.Lyrically, Blood of Kingu deals with Sumerian/Ancient Egyptian and Indo-European mythology and history. The vocals include death growls as well as Tibetan chants.On 7 December...

) and Khorus (Khors

Khors (band)

Khors is a Ukrainian black metal band formed in 2004 in Kharkiv by Khorus, the former bass guitarist of Astrofaes. During the creative activity, the band recorded four full-length albums and two DVDs. The group keeps an active touring and performed with groups like Enslaved, Moonspell, Behemoth,...

). The band managed a very productive first year, releasing the demo Ad Infinitum

Ad infinitum

Ad infinitum is a Latin phrase meaning "to infinity."In context, it usually means "continue forever, without limit" and thus can be used to describe a non-terminating process, a non-terminating repeating process, or a set of instructions to be repeated "forever," among other uses...

, live album The Attraction: Heavens and Earth (live), and their second, The Attraction: Heavens and Earth by autumn of 1997. Despite trouble maintaining a record label, the group managed to continue its productivity; by 2005 Those Whose Past is Immortal marked their eighth release. Astrofaes have employed Saturious and Munruthel, both involved in Lucifugum (as session musicians on some early albums) and Nokturnal Mortum

Nokturnal Mortum

Nokturnal Mortum is a Ukrainian black metal band from Kharkiv.-History:Nokturnal Mortum started as death metal band Suppuration in 1991, then turned to black metal and changed name to Crystalline Darkness but "had to change the name back in 1993/94 to Nocturnal Mortum because there already existed...

 for keyboards and drums respectively.

Like many other black metal outfits from Ukraine, Astrofaes focus heavily both musically and lyrically on Slavonic pride and folklore

Slavic mythology

Slavic mythology is the mythological aspect of the polytheistic religion that was practised by the Slavs before Christianisation.The religion possesses many common traits with other religions descended from the Proto-Indo-European religion....

 and bear an atmospheric element less evident in their Scandinavian counterparts.

The band had released recently their last work Idea. Form. Essence... on November 2007.

Discography

• Ad Infinitum (demo), 1996
• The Attraction: Heavens & Earth (live), 1997
• The Attraction: Heavens and Earth, 1997
• Dying Emotions Domain
  Dying Emotions Domain
  Dying Emotions Domain is the first studio album by the black metal band Astrofaes.It was re-released on cd format in 2001 on Chanteloup Creations.-Track listing:#The Black Woods Theory #Fiery Mysticism #At Nightfall...
  
  , 1998
• The Eyes of the Beast
  The Eyes of the Beast
  -External links:**...
  
  , 2000
• Ancestors' Shadows
  Ancestors' Shadows
  Ancestors' Shadows is the third full length studio album by the Ukrainian black metal band Astrofaes. It was released on Eclipse Productions in 2002.The track "Ancestors' Shadows" appears on the band's subsequent album, Heritage.-Track listing:...
  
  , 2002
• Heritage
  Heritage (Astrofaes album)
  Heritage is the fourth full length studio album by the Ukrainian black metal band Astrofaes. It was released on Ancient Nation Records in 2002 in both cassette format and CD format...
  
  , 2002
• Those Whose Past is Immortal
  Those Whose Past is Immortal
  Those Whose Past is Immortal is the sixth studio album released by the Ukrainian black metal band Astrofaes. It was released on Supernal Music in 2005.-Track listing:#Принцип существования [The Principle of Existence] — 08:39...
  
  , 2005
• Idea. Form. Essence...
  Idea. Form. Essence...
  Idea. Form. Essence is the seventh studio album released by the black metal band Astrofaes. It was recorded under Supernal Music and was released in 2007.-Track listing:#Пусть жизнь уносит темнота [Let Life Be Carried Away by Emptiness] — 05:22...
  
  , 2007
• Shu Nun, 2008
• Live Hate (DVD), 2008