Svarog (band)
| Company type | Ensemble / Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | November 1993 |
| Founder | Zoran Đuroski, Boško Blažić, Vladimir Vilovski, Milan Barković |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Belgrade , Serbia |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
Svarog () was a sludge and doom metal ensemble originating from Belgrade, Serbia, acknowledged as one of the earliest contributors to these musical styles within the country.
History
The group was established in November 1993 by guitarist Zoran Đuroski "Đura Mysterious" (previously involved with Brainstorm, Crist, SMF, Pussycat, Overdose), vocalist Boško Blažić (formerly of Sunrise), drummer Vladimir Vilovski "Šola" (ex-Brainstorm, SMF), and bassist Milan Barković "Bare" (ex-Pussycat).
On November 5, 1994, they performed at Belgrade's KST club; this show was captured and issued the following year as the live album Smor under their self-managed label Gong. Released solely on cassette format, the record contained thirteen tracks, including renditions of Discharge's "Final Bloodbath" and Black Sabbath's "Electric Funeral." The production was handled independently by the band with sound engineer Ivan Brusić at Atelje Studio in Belgrade.
In 1994, Svarog featured in the film Geto, which showcased the underground rock movement of Belgrade and included a music video for their track "Trial Song." Additionally, a live recording of "War (Is Within)" from their November 11, 1995 concert alongside Bjesovi was later featured on Multimedia Records’ 2009 compilation titled Groovanje devedesete uživo.
Following vocalist Blažić’s departure in spring 1996, Đuroski assumed vocal responsibilities. During May 1996, the band embarked on a tour across Slovenia with Love Hunters, Ništa Ali Logopedi, and Goblini. Although they initiated work on their first studio album, only two tracks were completed before the group dissolved.
Post-breakup
After his exit from Svarog, Blažić retired from music entirely. Vilovski pursued drumming roles in various acts and contributed guest vocals for his former band Sick Mother Fakers on their album Lako ćemo. Bassist Milan Barković shifted focus to audio engineering and production, establishing his own facility named Bare Wired studio located in Zemun. Đuroski participated as a guest musician on multiple albums throughout the 1990s, including Block Out's 1996 release Godina sirotinjske zabave, Sick Mother Fakers' 1998 Lako ćemo, and Goblini's 1999 album Re Contra. In the early 2000s, he became a member of Eyesburn, contributing to their albums Cool Fire and How Much for Freedom?. His collaboration with Eyesburn extended to a guest appearance on the Soulfly DVD Live in Warsaw, Poland – July 13, 2005, which accompanied the 2008 album Conquer. Đuroski further developed his career in production and engineering by overseeing projects such as Bjesovi's live album Na živo (2002), Ventolin's Unrest (2003), and Scraps' Self-Command (2006). He also engineered Bjesovi’s video release Live at KST, Belgrade May 31, 2003 (2003) and Dog House's EP entitled October (2004).
Live albums
- Smor (1995)
Other appearances
- "Trial Song" featured on Groovanje devedesete uživo (2009)
Videography
- Geto (1995)