The Albanian Metal – rock scene

Albanian rock describes music in Albania, Kosovo, and other Albanian-inhabited areas closely related
to western rock. It has a wide variety of sub-genres like heavy metal, punk, alternativeand death metal.
Albanian rock music first started in Kosovo through bands like Gjurmët,[1]Lindja[2] and later Jericho,
[3]
 and in Macedonia with bands such as Elita 5, being continued to this day by Asgjë Sikur Dielli, Por-
no,[4] Cute Babulja,[5] Blla Blla Blla, Bojken Lako,CROSSBONES, and Retrovizorja.[6] In Albania, the first
rock concert was organized by Aleksander Gjoka in 1989. Only after the collapse of communism in
Albania did the first rock groups appear there. The first rock band in Albania was Megaherz, founded
by guitarist Bledar Sejko, after the fall of communism, he went on to form Thunderway, with Elton Deda
a thrashmetal band which recorded the first rock album in Albania called "The Executioner's Orders",
on cassette. Meanwhile, Bojken Lako was experimenting rock with his first band, The Fishhook, who
released one album on cassette. The first recorded rock album on CD in Albania was released in 1997
by Crossbones entitled Days of Rage.[7] [edit]

Brief history
Yugoslavian influence among Albanians in Kosovo was also present in rock music. [8] The first known
Albanian rock band was called Blue Star appeared in 1964 in Pristina, later they renamed it to Modestët.
[9]
 In the beginning of the 70's, rock music stage present in Kosovska
Mitrovica,Kosovo (then Yugoslavia) was made of both Serbian and Albanian bands. Some of these
bands, like MAK[10] had both Albanian and Serbian musicians. Another bi-ethnic band was FAN also
based in Mitrovica.

Pristina was the most important city for Albanian rock music during the 80's. In the mainstream
circles Gjurmët (founded 1981) were among favorites. Their combination of rock with "muzikë qytetare"
laid the foundation of Albanian rock. Other known bands that formed during this period were Ilirët, 403,
Telex, Seleksioni 039, Minatori and Menkis. On the other hand, the underground music was more
leaning towardspunk. Most notable underground rock/punk band of Pristina in the 80s was Lindja with
its lead musician Luan Osmani (lead guitar). The beginning of the 90's introduced other rock bands and
individuals that played mainly in Kosovo like Troja, Dardan Shkreli, Blla blla blla and Elita 5 (from
Macedonia).

In Albania the most prominent rock bands and individuals only appeared after 1990. Before that period
rock music was prohibited. Although youth groups found ways to listen it through clandestine
channels.[11] Bojken Lako is considered as one of the most influential rock musicians in Albania [citation
needed]
. Some notable rock bands include Akull Thyesit (Icebreaker) from Elbasan (first rock album Lindja
e Ujkut[citation needed]), Meteor from Durrës, Djemt e Detit, Albatros, Grupi X, and singers like Gjergj Jorgaqi
(who sang for a short while for Thunderway), Redon Makashi and many others. Guttersnipe was a short-
lived punk band from Tirana in the early 90s (one song was released on the compilation "last Call for the Lost
Scenes vol.1" 7" vinyl on Tian An Men 89 Records in France. The guitarist, Eduard Dashi, went on to play as a
session musician, while the vocalist, Klodi Agostini emigrated to Denmark. Qelbanix were the first progressive
band in Albania and in 2008 they released their first and last album "Infinit Relativ" with double cd. In this album
there is an artwork for every song of it made by Qelbanix. While in 2011 Projekti was another musical project
from albania, the first one to compose trip-hop music by celist Mardit Leki. The alternative band Linda ne Boten
e Cudirave was created in 2009 with leader signer and guitarist Linda Rukaj, who later on in 2011 she released
her single acoustic album "Jam" (I am) which was written and composed by her. She was the first female artist
in Albania to be a singer songwirter and guitarist. In the extreme music scene, Syrgjyn from Tirana, is the first
albanian death metal band to release an album in June 2010. The album "Manifest of Essence" is an indie
metal/death metal/industrial self-produced. The band is the only official albanian extreme metal act still
performing.

During parallel governance (1989–1999) and after the 1999 war in Kosovo several new bands emerged,
among which most famous are Diadema, KEK ("Kombinat Elektrikë e Kosovës" = Kosovo Electrical
Plant), 7me7, The Hithat, Cute Babulja, Por-no, Gre3n, Retrovizorja.

In Macedonia the main Albanian rock/punk band is considered Blla Blla Blla founded in 1989. [12] Their influence
can be seen not only in Albanian but also in Macedonian rock music. Another Albanian band from Macedonia is
Shekulli i Dreqit (Century of Blood), metal from Struga.

After 2004 many alternative rock band appeared forming a new wave. Many bands formed, dissolved
than re-formed. Bands like Votra, Gillespie, The Bloody Foreigners, and Gre3n (ceased existing in
2008). Also the Glasses, the Dizzies (with some band members of Gillespie) Freelancers most of them
debuting in 2009. During those years in Albania they were lots of alternative and rock bands like Permit
of Stay, Germs, Ora 3, The Room, 00 Genti, The S Forest...

Main bands and individuals

 FARAZIMUS[citation needed]

 Gjurmët (dissolved)

 Minatori

 Lindja

 Cute Babulja
 Blla Blla Blla

 Troja

 Gillespie

 KEK (dissolved)

 Por-no

 Megaherz

 Crossbones[13]

 Bojken Lako

 The Fishhook

 Thunderway

 Gentjan Bushpepa

 Meteor

 Djemt e Detit

 Shekulli i Dreqit

 Guttersnipe

 Jericho (Jericho Walls)

 Gre3n

 the Dizzies

 the Glasses

 the Freelancers

 Garazhat e Bardha

 Retrovizorja

 Diadema

 Fullstop

 Kthjellu

 Toxin

 Djemtë e Detit

 7me7

 403

 Gjergj Jorgaqi

 Aleksander Gjoka

 Albatros

 Akullthyesit
 Kozanostra

 Redon Makashi

 Ritfolk

 HUMUS

 Edison Bregu

 Lufte Popullit

 Asgjë Sikur Dielli

 Permit of stay

 Noise Seed

 C.O.D.Y.

 Ora 3

 Linda ne boten e çudirave

 VOTRA

 The Hithat

 00 Genti

 Babuka

 Germs

 Elita 5

 Iliret

 Projekti

 Arber Elezi

 Elton Deda

 Purgatory

 ODA

 Trix

 Xuxi

 B.B.Poqi

 Adrian Rrusta

 Fisniket

 TNT

 The S Forest

 Astrit Dili

 The Bloody Foreigners

 Meta

 Haliband

 LuTuS

 Lindja

 Syrgjyn

 The Room

 NA

 Hapat

 Black Storm

 Gverr

 Qelbanix

 PainKiller

 Nihil

 Satrap

 Zoterr

 Natfron

 Sansara