Skambankt
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 in Klepp Municipality, Norway |
| Defunct | 2022-11-04 |
| Headquarters | Klepp Municipality , Norway |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
| Website | www |
Skambankt (translated as Beaten to a pulp or beaten up) was a Norwegian hard rock group originating from Klepp Municipality, close to Stavanger, established in 1994. Their final live performance took place on November 4, 2022, at Stavanger's DNB Arena.
Their musical style fused elements of traditional rock'n'roll, punk, and hard rock, drawing inspiration from influential acts such as Motörhead, AC/DC, the Sex Pistols, Ramones, and The Stooges. The band's lyrics, delivered in Norwegian, explored topics including resistance against governmental authority, religious extremism, capitalism, and themes of betrayal.
Origins
Skambankt came into existence in 1994 during a session at Klepp Rockeklubb when Ted Winters (Terje Winterstø) on guitar and vocals, Don Fist (Tollak Friestad) on bass, and Hans Panzer (Hans Egil Løe) on drums composed nine songs within approximately three hours and performed as a substitute act. They continued performing live and creating demo recordings until their split in 1995.
The band reassembled in 2003 after meeting at a bachelor celebration. The founding trio reunited with Hans Panzer switching to rhythm guitar and backing vocals while Tom Skalle (Tom-Erik Løe) joined as the drummer. Upon signing with the Norwegian label DogJob, they launched their debut album Skambankt in November 2004. This record featured songwriting contributions from Geir Zahl of Kaizers Orchestra and guest vocals by Prepple Houmb of DumDum Boys on songs such as "Kristelig KulturKaos."
Skamania EP, Roskilde Festival Appearance, and Lineup Change
On June 15, 2005, Skambankt released the EP titled Skamania, which included six fresh tracks along with two music videos. This release preceded their performance at Denmark's Roskilde Festival by two weeks. Their setlist was expanded by the EP’s content before an audience estimated at 20,000 attendees. Later that year, Bones Wolsman (Børge Henriksen) replaced Tom Skalle as the drummer.
Eliksir and Hardt Regn Albums
In 2007, Skambankt unveiled their sophomore full-length album Eliksir, which drew thematic inspiration from Harry Potter. The album’s lead single "Tyster" achieved significant airplay on Norwegian radio alongside "Dynasi," particularly on NRK P3. Eliksir debuted at number 8 on Norway’s charts and was supported by extensive tours across Norway and Denmark.
By late 2008, the band recorded their third studio album Hardt Regn, released on January 27 with "Malin" as its lead single debuting via MySpace. The album received positive critical acclaim and performed well commercially. Songs such as "Malin," "O dessverre," and "Slukk meg" became favorites among fans. Hardt Regn earned a nomination for best rock album at the 2009 Spellemannprisen awards.
During 2009, Skambankt toured Denmark supporting the Danish rock band D-A-D on their Monster Philosophy Tour and served as opening act for AC/DC in Oslo on June 15. Additionally, they appeared at the Pstereo Festival that August.
Transition to Columbia Records: Releases of Søvnløs and Voodoo
Following Hardt Regn, Skambankt signed with Columbia Records and released their fourth studio album Søvnløs on September 6, 2010. The album’s lead single "Mantra" was launched earlier on May 17, coinciding with Norway’s Constitution Day.
Their fifth album Sirene, released January 27, 2014, maintained the number one position on Norwegian charts for five consecutive weeks. The lead single "Voodoo" premiered in November 2013 accompanied by an inventive campaign where fans traded old plastic guitars to be recycled into vinyl records. This creative initiative earned them the Spotify Innovator of the Year award during the January 2014 Spellemannprisen ceremony. Additionally, the single was promoted through a branded beer created by Kinn Bryggeri in Florø.
Throughout 2014, Skambankt embarked on an extensive tour presenting tracks from Sirene at various festivals including Steinkjer, Roskilde, and Trondheim’s Pstereo Festival.
Indie Recordings
Before releasing their sixth album, Skambankt entered into a contract with Indie Recordings, collaborating with producer Janove Ottesen. The 2017 single Fremmed I En Fremmed Verden (Stranger in a Strange World) served as a precursor to the full-length album Horisonten brenner (The horizon is burning), which debuted on February 9, 2018. For this project, the band converted an old pig barn into a recording studio. The album achieved a peak position of number six on Norway's official chart (VG-lista). Stavanger Aftenblad characterized the work as "heavy and solid".[1] This release introduced a shift in their sound, featuring piano and keyboard elements on tracks such as "Horisonten Brenner" and "Levende Legende", which led to the addition of Jonny Engelsvoll to handle keyboard duties.[2] Following the album’s release, their Norwegian tour culminated with a performance at Oslo's Rockefeller Music Hall, where the live set was recorded and later issued as Rockefeller 09.03.18.
In 2019, Skambankt marked their 25th anniversary with the release of 1994, an MTV Unplugged-style album that featured a new title track, "Når eg sover", alongside reimagined versions of eleven earlier songs. That same year, they supported Bon Jovi during the Stavanger Sr-Bank Arena stop on the This House Is Not for Sale Tour in June.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the release of their subsequent album, Jærtegn (Milestone), initially slated for spring 2020. Eventually launched on January 29, 2021, this record blends acoustic influences with the band's signature rock sound and has been described as suitable for pandemic conditions. Promotion for Jærtegn included a tour spanning from Oslo to Trondheim between February and April.[3][4]
Their tenth studio album, titled Ti (Ten), was released in September 2021, counting all previous studio works including the live album Rockefeller 09.03.18.[5] The band then embarked on a farewell tour named "Grand Finale" throughout 2022.[6]
Throughout much of Skambankt’s existence, Ted Winters also served as guitarist for Kaizer's Orchestra, which entered an indefinite hiatus in 2013. In a 2022 interview, Winters revealed renewed enthusiasm and intentions to rejoin the band after years of hesitation.[7]
Line-up
Current members:
- Ted Winters (Terje Winterstø Røthing) – vocals, guitar
- Hanz Panzer (Hans Egil Løe) – backing vocals, guitar
- Don Fist (Tollak Friestad) – backing vocals, bass
- Bones Wolsman (Børge Henriksen) – drums
- Jonny Engelsvoll – keyboards
Past members:
- Tom-Skalle (Tom-Erik Løe) – backing vocals, drums (2003–2006)
Timeline
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Studio albums
- Skambankt (2004)
- Eliksir (2007)
- Hardt Regn (2009)
- Søvnløs (2010)
- Sirene (2014)
- Horisonten brenner (2018)
- 1994 (2019)
- Jærtegn (2021)
- Ti (2022)
Live albums
- Rockefeller 09.03.18 (2018)
EPs and singles
- Skamania (EP, 2005)
- Mantra (2010)
- Fremmed I En Fremmed Verden/Balladen Om Deg (2017)
- For En Evighet/Om Nettene (2019)
- Skumring / Liden (2019)
External links
References
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com - Skambankt - Horisonten Brenner". Norwegiancharts. 2023.
- ↑ "Jonny Engelsvoll Discography | Discogs". Discogs.
- ↑ "Skambankt concert history". Concert Archives.
- ↑ Berg, Peter (29 January 2021). "Skambankt – fra fuzz til fløyel". PLNTY kulturmagasinet (in norsk bokmål).
- ↑ Sissener, Charlotte. "Skambankt tilbake til røttene". www.musikknyheter.no.
- ↑ "Den siste reisen for Skambankt!". Svømmehallen Scene (in norsk). 14 October 2022.
- ↑ Skodje, Marte; Lisa Marit, Kalstad; Cathrine, Oftedahl (9 November 2022). "Nå gjenforenes Kaizers Orchestra etter ti år". NRK (in norsk bokmål).