Discovering Czech music scene: Severals and 11 more interesting bands
Severals is Czech metalcore band which performed in Ukraine in 2018. Lately they released the single "Melody" and announced their new LP releasing in 2021. The guys told us about their trip to our country, the new song, the situation with COVID-19 in Czechia and recommended some Czech and Slovak bands you should definitely listen to.
A four-piece band from Pilsen, Czechia. The band has been active on the Czech scene since 2016 as a new project of the (now former) guitarist Pavel and the drummer Zdenek after their band Minute of Fame broke up. Their genre can be described as modern metalcore with djent influences.
Severals base their live performances on a sophisticated light show and great sound. In the fall of 2018 they had the Glitch tour (Poland, Ukraine, Romania) which included 2 shows with Bad Omens. Their discography consists of debut EP "Glitch" (2018), a few singles and 7 music videos.
Single Melody and upcoming album
After a longer break and the departure of the founding member and former guitarist Pavel, Severals are back with their latest single "Melody", premiering within all major digital platforms on the 7th of December, 2020. The song explores the theme of losing something or someone that guides through life and keeps us afloat. The single combines melodic parts, emotional clean chorus as well as heavy riffs and unclean vocals.
Severals recorded their latest release in a private studio in Prague owned by and with the help of Pavel Chyška. Mixing and Mastering was done by Australian producer Lance Prenc, who has worked with such bands as Alpha Wolf, Polaris and Thornhill.
"The symbolic music video depicts a young man who has lost his Melody — his love. Despite all his efforts to save her, she plummets off a cliff to her death. Early on the man rests her bracelet near her headstone. The bracelet represents the only physical object that is left for him after her passing. We follow the man and his mind through his grieving process as he struggles with the loss, his love turns to anger for feeling abandoned. Desperate, he returns to his late love’s grave, grasping the bracelet back. As it suddenly starts to glow in his hand and float, we see his acceptance, and he manages to find his peace, reuniting with his lost Melody within", — press release says.
By the way Melody is the first peek into Severals’ upcoming full length album the production of which begins in early 2021.
Connection with Ukraine — Glitch Tour
In November/December of 2018 we embarked on the eastern European tour consisting of 8 shows — 1 in Poland, 3 in Ukraine and 4 in Romania.
The Ukrainian part of our tour started on a bad note. First we ran into problems with crossing the Polish/Ukrainian border and were stuck there for 4 hours. We were therefore slightly delayed and nervous, as we had an upcoming show that night in Lviv with the US band Bad Omens.
We managed to get to the venue on time, but the misfortune didn’t stop, as we hit a concrete pillar with our car while backing into the venue, breaking the rear hatch window of our van. Having to quickly prepare for the show, there was nothing we could do about the car at that point.
The show was kicked off by Space of Variations, who literally knocked the breath out of us with their show, and they got the crowd hyped up for the evening. We were next and we felt great playing in a foreign country for 500-700 people. The crowd was amazing, moving since our first note, enjoying all of them. We have never experienced such feedback from the audience before. After that Bad Omens performed a great show worthy of their headline tour.
Our next stop was Kyiv and it took us almost the entire day to get there. We drove our van packed to the brim with band equipment and merchandise for 12 hours, the rear window was patched just with a piece of cardboard. We got to the venue on time and were pleasantly surprised by a sizeable crowd waiting outside, some people even recognized and greeted us — a rare thing for us even in our homeland, not to mention Ukraine.
We were the first to perform that evening. It was another great night and superb feeling to see many faces in front of us — around 300-400 — again having a great time, enjoying the atmosphere. We felt really grateful. The band Anna was next and Bad Omens band was the headliner.
What made the Kyiv show special were the numerous fans who approached us after our performance, looking at our merch, having a chat and taking photos with us. It was an incredible feeling to see how grateful these people were for a band from "the west" to perform in their city. Moments like these are the reason why we do what we do. One of the fans even reached out to us after the release of "Melody" — we send our regards and thanks to him!
Our last stop in Ukraine was Vinnytsia — here we performed in an American themed restaurant, people around us were eating while we were setting up. Although the attendance was low that evening, it was a really cool experience — how many metal bands have played their shows in a restaurant? After the show we had a great meal and left for Romania the following day.
Video from Glitch Tour
Heavy Music scene in Czechia
Around 2012 the scene was fairly saturated with metalcore and hardcore bands, notable of those are Apostate or Shogun Tokugawa. This trend seems to be on a steady decline since then and metal is not as hot as it used to be. There are fewer local bands and fans. Many of them have shifted their focus from music to their work and family lives, while young fans tend more towards the underground rap scene.
Heavy music still lives on, but on a smaller scale than before. We have some big events for heavier genres, such as Rock for People, Brutal Assault or Fajtfest. Besides Rock for People, the other two festivals are dominated by heavy bands with big names that performed there in the past, such as Architects, Parkway Drive and many more.
It’s not out of place to compare Czech and Ukrainian scenes, but it is clear that the audience in Ukraine is a lot more welcoming to all the bands than it is in the Czech Republic. The majority of people there attend shows mainly for the headlining act and supporting acts are often a bit overlooked. Of course, that is not what happens all the time.
Czech scene and COVID
The year of 2020 has been very hard on all of us — bands, promoters, venues and regular people. We have been through the strict lockdowns since the first wave, causing many venues to close down permanently and promoters having to switch their occupations.
We are currently going through the second wave and the situation hasn’t changed. There are no shows, which is frustrating for both bands and their fans. We hope that there will be a shift on the scene after the pandemic is under control. People will be excited to attend live shows again and tickets will fly off the shelves, hopefully!
Currently most of the scene is focused on online content and social media, trying to sell their music and merchandise, raising awareness about their music. We are no exception, trying to get by and work hard on our new material for the upcoming record, but we also remember to focus on ourselves and our close ones.
Top 10 Czech bands (who they are and why we picked them)
It’s not easy to choose TOP 10 of our favorite Czech bands, not because there aren’t many, but because we wouldn’t want to leave anyone out. Anyway, here they are:
Fall From Everest
A promising band from Prague. They play metalcore with heavy influences from electronic music and many other genres. Their debut LP St. Nightmare’s Day is definitely one of the top Czech albums of 2020 for us.
Horrible Creatures
The band that is perfect for fans of pissed off thrash metal — great energy on stage as on records, too. They have released the EP called "Internal Decline" this year, serving a great metal record again.
Wictims
The pinnacle of deathcore in the Czech Republic. Brutality, energy, dark synths — perfect for any deathcore fan. This year’s album Lorn Echoes is amazing.
Abbie Falls
Young deathcore band that has been gaining in popularity lately thanks to their latest singles "Mayday" and "No One’s Above".
Hopes
High quality raw hardcore — breathtaking live performances.
Glad For Today
Although it is not a heavy metal act, this is a fantastic band nonetheless. We have performed numerous shows together and it was great every time. The guys even performed in Canada thanks to winning a competition organized by Rock for People. Their latest release is the EP called "Common Noise, Common Voice".
We could keep going, so here are some more notable Czech bands worth listening to or checking out live, if you have the chance:
Notable acts on the Slovak scene are Landless and Stercore!
Severals in social networks:
https://www.severalsofficial.com
https://spoti.fi/2v21d37
https://www.facebook.com/svrls/
https://www.instagram.com/weareseverals/
Cover — photo from Pexels
