All of the Heavy Metal Bands from Armenia (Updated: 2021)
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Much of the credit in making this list goes to Encyclopedia Metallum: The Metal Archives and its exhaustive, crowdsourced documenting of heavy metal from around the world. For more information on the bands listed here, check out The Metal Archives’ Armenia page.
This list is compiled from a variety of sources, including MySpace, YouTube, Spotify, The Metal Archives, Bandcamp, and other social networking sites (i.e. Facebook). Bands are organized alphabetically and supplemented with relevant links.
For metal bands from the other two countries of the South Caucasus, check out my other articles: Georgia and Azerbaijan!
If bands are missing, links are broken, or information is incorrect — please let me know! I will update the article as more information comes. This list is a work in progress.
Enjoy!
Adana Project
Female-fronted symphonic metal from Yerevan, formed in 2014.
Lyrics focused on Armenian history and patriotism, Armenian folklore, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenian Genocide, etc.
They also cover Armenian pop and folk songs, such as “Gini Lic” (Գինի Լից) — a song about Soghomon Tehlirian’s assassination of Mehmed Talaat Pasha in 1921:
Spotify:
You can access their Facebook page here. As well as their official YouTube and Instagram accounts.
ALQ (ԱԼՔ)
Heavy/thrash metal from Vanadzor. Formed in 1995, but officially active from 1995–1998 and 2013-present. Only known releases are from 1995 and 1996.
Myspace page can be accessed here, although unsure if it is official or not.
AMBEHR (Амбер)
Folk/power metal from Yerevan, now Moscow. Formed in 1995. Originally a death/thrash metal group that transitioned to folk in the mid-2000’s.
Death/thrash phase (2005):
Spotify:
Official VKontakte group (in Russian) can be found here.
Ancient Fear
Black metal from Yerevan. Formed in 2012.
Official VKontakte group (in English) can be found here.
Arbor Mortis
Black metal from Yerevan. Formed in 2013.
Full album:
Official Facebook page can be accessed here.
Bandcamp:
Asparez (Аспарез)
Hard rock / heavy metal from Yerevan. Active between 1982–1991.
Only known release:
There is a Russian forum thread about Asparez that can be found here. It is the only other source of information/discussion I could find on the group.
Avarayr (Ավարայր)
Atmospheric black metal from Yerevan. Formed in 2013 as Symphony of Silence, before changing its name shortly thereafter.
Full discography on Bandcamp:
Official Facebook page can be accessed here.
Basturma (Բաստուրմա)
Cooking recipe-themed experimental death metal project from Gyumri. Formed sometime around 2013–2014. Named after the cured beef dish of the same name.
Only known release (via Bandcamp):
No other information could be found about the group.
Beerdigüngs Läuten
Death metal / grindcore from Yerevan. Active 1993–1995 and again in 2004.
Discogs:
I couldn’t find any audio of their known releases, however I was able to find a public Facebook group here with more information — including band photos, live performances, and more.
Blood Covenant
Christian symphonic “unblack” metal from Yerevan. Formed as Iron Cross in 2001 before changing their name.
Full album:
Blood Covenant is very active on social media. They have accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and VKontakte, as well as their own website.
Bokrag
Death metal from Yerevan. Formed in 2010.
Full album:
ReverbNation profile:
Bokrag also maintains a Myspace profile which can be found here.
Daemoon
Symphonic black metal from Yerevan. Formed as Eternal Nightfall in 2015.
Bandcamp:
As Eternal Nightfall (2015):
Daemoon also maintains a Facebook page here.
Deathspawn
Death/black/thrash metal from Yerevan. Formed in 2020.
Single:
Also available on Bandcamp:
Deathspawn also maintains a Facebook account here.
DivahaR
All-female symphonic black metal from Yerevan. Formed in 2009.
Spotify:
Bandcamp:
DivahaR also maintains accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and SoundCloud.
Edengard
Symphonic black metal from Yerevan. Formed in 2011.
Bandcamp:
ReverbNation profile:
I couldn’t find any further information about the status of Edengard and whether it is still an active project, as some sites indicate that the group split in 2013.
Endlessly Scarred
Doom/death metal from Yerevan. Formed by Artak Karapetyan in 2017.
Bandcamp:
Eternally Scarred maintains a Facebook page here.
Eyeless in Gaza
One-man funeral doom from Yerevan. Formed in by Franklin Avetisyan in 2020.
Full album:
Eyeless in Gaza maintains a Facebook page here.
MDP (Manic Depressive Psychosis)
Progressive / psychedelic metal from Yerevan. Formed in 1990 at Yerevan State University, although its current status is unknown. Releases are incredibly hard to find and information is limited.
Wikipedia:
MDP maintains a website which can be found here, although most of the links are broken and the music player is inactive.
Selected discography:
- 1993, Usurper of the Sun Rays (Tape, Live-in-studio, MDP, Armenia)
- 1995, Take Your Nibbled Apple Back (CD, Live-in-studio, Rostov/Russia)
- 2000, Vibrographus (CD, MDP Studio, Armenia)
- 2003, MDP Live (CD, Live/Recording at the “FireWall” and “MinDPower” Rock Festivals, Armenia)
- 2005, Beauty (EP, MDP Studio, Armenia)
Merial
Death/black metal from Yerevan. Formed in 2015.
Bandcamp:
Merial does not maintain any other active social networking account.
Sadael
Funeral doom / death metal from Yerevan, now St. Petersburg. Formed in 2004 by Vahe Soghomonyan.
Bandcamp discography:
Full album (2017):
Sadael also maintains a Facebook account which can be found here.
SEGØR
Melodic death / “unblack” metal from Yerevan. Formed in 2008 by Sergey Areskin.
Single (2017):
He also maintains a Facebook account here.
Temple of Demigod
Symphonic black/death metal from Yerevan. Formed by Mark Erskine in 2014.
Full Bandcamp discography:
Temple of Demigod maintains a Facebook account here. They also maintain a YouTube channel, although nothing has been uploaded.
(BONUS) System of a Down
Although Armenian-American and not from Armenia, it would be a missed opportunity not to include the most famous “Armenian” metal / rock band of the past two decades.
System of a Down maintains a website here:
I hope you enjoy this list of heavy metal groups from Armenia! This list accompanies two other articles on Georgia and Azerbaijan.
I will update this article as I receive more info.
Alexander Leslie is a foreign policy analyst, freelance journalist, and has an M.A. in Eurasian, Russian, & East European Studies from Georgetown University. His interests include U.S.-Georgia relations, energy politics, and studies in counterterrorism policy.
Contact: aejleslie@gmail.com
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