is a Kyiv-based hardcore punk / riot grrrl band band formed by musicians Anastasia Khomenko and Mariana Navrotska in 2017. Later, Natalya Syeryakova joined the band.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the band the band was forced apart while finishing their debut album. Drummer Anastasiia moved to Spain, bassist Natalia to Australia, while singer Mariana remained in Kyiv. Despite the distance, they collaborated with the London-based New Heavy Sounds label to release their self-titled debut in February 2023.

The album received critical acclaim, with Metal Hammer stating: ‘Death Pill have made one of the best crossover albums of the modern era’. ‘SOLOGAMY’June 20th, 2025

is a Kyiv-based band band formed in 2022. Composed of experienced musicians, the group quickly established themselves in the underground scene with a unique fusion of '70s rock revival, stoner rock, and neo-psychedelic influences.

They launched their musical journey in late 2022 with the debut album “Ignition”. Since then, the band has been a constant presence in the local scene, known for their continuous experimentation and powerful live performances.

In 2024, the band the band released the single "Glow In The Dark" and recorded a notable live session at SoundPlant Studio, showcasing their evolving sound.

Currently, DATAWL is preparing for a major release mid-2025. Their upcoming second album marks a new creative direction—shifting towards vocal-oriented compositions with a rich emphasis on keyboard instruments, specifically the electric organ and harpsichord.

is a Ukrainian melodic metal band metal band that seamlessly blends heavy riffs with symphonic, electronic, and folk elements to create a cinematic, OST-like experience. Beyond the music, every release is deeply rooted in storytelling. Early in their career, IGNEA IGNEA became the first Ukrainian metal band to record with a full symphonic orchestra for their song "Alga". Named after the battle cry of the Crimean Tatars, the song serves as a powerful anthem for those defending their land, with the video gaining nearly 10 million views to date. In 2020, the band was named the Best Ukrainian Metal Act, with their album "The Realms of Fire and Death" winning Metal Album of the Year. This success, fully funded by their global Patreon community, eventually led them to sign with the prestigious Napalm Records. Despite the full-scale invasion, IGNEA released their 2023 album "Dreams of Lands Unseen", dedicated to the Ukrainian travel writer Sofia Yablonska. They have since performed 43 shows across the EU and UK alongside Fear Factory and played at major festivals like Wacken, Summer Breeze, and Bloodstock.

The band was founded in 2022 by two young musicians — Lev (vocalist) and Illya (songwriter and guitarist), who back then were only 16–17 years old. As the band grew, new members joined. Bassist Anatoliy, who was just starting to learn the instrument at the time, has since become one of the strongest bass players in Odesa. Drummer Semen, despite having extensive drumming experience, had his first full-fledged band experience with this band. Guitarist Oleksandr also joined, bringing his love for post-music and shoegaze, which added new textures to the band’s sound. Thus, their style took shape, blending elements of post-black metal, depressive suicidal black metal, and other genres. 

The first performance with this line-up took place in Odesa, where the band opened forelder and quite famous post-black metal band, White Ward. Later, they performed at the Faine Misto festival (2024), embarked on a mini-tour with Ritual Service (2023), and supported White Ward (2024) once again. 

In 2025, the band released their debut full-length album, Distant Echoes. Since their first performances Mortui Vultus were regarded as the very promising band, and their atmospheric LP only proved this point. "This album is a reflection of the state of mind of a person during the war. Each track seems to be a fragment of an internal dialogue, where hope struggles with despair, and rage hides in melancholy," the band members share. 

Somali Yacht Club Somali Yacht Club“The Sun”Their reputation grew with the 2018 release of “The Sea”, followed by numerous performances at prestigious festivals like Desertfest London and Desertfest Berlin. While a planned tour of Australia and New Zealand was disrupted by the pandemic, the band’s trajectory remained strong.

A New Chapter with Season of Mist In 2021, the band signed with the major international label Season of Mist, releasing their third album “The Space”. Even during the full-scale war, they managed to tour Europe alongside Stoned Jesus and Greenleaf, bringing their atmospheric sound to a global audience.

Currently, due to martial law regulations, the band the band has focused on domestic performances—including a headline set at the Faine Misto festival (2024)—while working on new material for their upcoming records.

is a Ukrainian band formed in 2016 in Kharkiv and hospitably welcomed in cosy and creative Vinnytsia in 2022. The band The band plays metal with hints of chaotic hardcore and math rock, complemented by cute extreme female vocals. The band has a set of honourable achievements: 

• Winners: Wacken Metal Battle 2023 (Bronze) 

• Winners: Metal Battle Ukraine 2023 

• Nominated: The Best Ukrainian Metal Act 2021 

The band The band is currently one of the most active on the Ukrainian metal scene: dozens of charity live concerts (a performance at Wacken Metal Battle 2023 and the Faine Misto 2023/2024 festival, charity tours around Ukraine and Europe), the release of numerous videos, several feats with Ukrainian and foreign artists. 

Their latest release Аокігахара / Aokigahara EP (2024) is short and fierce, but also slightly experimental, and quite personal for the band, blending their childhood memories, Japanese legends, Japanese poems and moral values given by their parents, literature and anime.  

True Tough True Tough is a Ukrainian hardcore/metal band whose discography includes several singles and two EPs. The band explores both personal emotions and social issues, blending elements of death metal, 2000s metalcore, and hardcore in their music. It is an active player in the modern Ukrainian scene, receiving high praise from various Ukrainian music media. 

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, True Tough has played dozens of charity concerts across three tours and performed twice at Ukraine’s biggest active festival, Faine Misto.  

The band is currently working on its first full-length album, set for release later. Additionally, it is one of the fastest-growing bands in the Ukrainian metal scene today. ‘It will be straight to your face. This is the music that hits you — that's how I would describe this album. The lyrics will resonate with people, because those are eternal social themes — about all the shit that surrounds us. So it needs to be thrown out, and we want to do it classically, in a True Tough way. There is a goal for this album — to become not just a hit, but for it to be iconic. Both for us and for the Ukrainian scene. And at the same time, we want to aim a little at the foreign audience. Because we have this problem: the Ukrainian listener doesn't give a damn about you until people start listening to you normally abroad’ — True Tough True Tough about upcoming album.

Vøvk is a Kyiv-based band that balances between progressive rock and post-hardcore, taking the best of both worlds. Their songs are a blend of structured chaos, emotional intensity, and experimentation. The lyrics navigate the boundary between the symbolic and the personal, creating phantasmagorical narratives. 

Vøvk’s journey includes two European tours, numerous charity concerts, performances on Ukraine’s underground stages, and appearances at festivals such as Faine Misto, Gogolfest, Winter Mass VI, Barrockko Fest, Rock-n-Buh, Respublica, Impulse Fest, Electric Meadow, and Kazka Family Fest. 

Vøvk’s discography includes the album Lair and a cover of DakhaBrakha’s song Sho Z-Pod Duba. Their latest single to date, Tyhr, is the band’s first song in Ukrainian and will be featured on their upcoming second full-length album,Litera.  

A few Vøvk’s songs also have been featured in the highly appreciated video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. 

 Genres: progressive rock, post-hardcore, alternative rock 

For fans of: Mastodon, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Mars Volta, Elder 

Founded in 2014 on the centenary of the First World War, 1914 is a Ukrainian blackened death metal band, themed primarily around this topic. Their discography includes three great full-length albums, as well as plenty of smaller releases and music videos. Since 2019, the band works with Austrian label Napalm Records. 

1914 1914are one of the most popular Ukrainian metal bands known both on the local scene and abroad. They played dozens of smaller concerts here and in Europe, but also performed at bigger events like Belgian Alcatraz Festival, Czech Brutal Assault or German Summer Breeze.  

White Ward White Ward is an experimental post-black metal band from Odesa, formed in 2012. Their discography includes three full-length albums, highly praised by fans and music media. Through the years, White Ward developed their unique sound, which combines post-black metal, noir/dark jazz, and trip-hop. The band is supported by Debemur Morti Productions label. They had successfully performed in European tours and also gained popularity within Ukrainian scene, performing at the biggest active festivals like Faine Misto

This selection of music acts has been curated independently by Neformat, Neformat, a non-commercial media platform. It reflects our editorial perspective and is not influenced by any external partners, sponsors, or commercial interests.