Vitja (band)
{{Short description|German metalcore band}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Vitja
| image = Taste of Anarchy Fest 2016 - Vitja (43).JPG
| image_upright = 1.25
| caption = Vitja at Taste of Anarchy Fest in Cologne, 2016
| origin = Münster and Cologne, Germany
| genre = Metalcore, progressive metal, djent
| years_active = 2013–2022
| past_members = Gabriel Spigolon (vocals)
Fabio DeDominicis (guitar)
Florian Vogel (bass)
Daniel Pampuch (drums)
David Beule (vocals)
Vladimir Donchenko (guitar)
Mario Metzler (bass)
}}
Vitja was a German metalcore band with members from Münster and Cologne, formed in 2013. Vitja is Russian for Viktor, which means winner, but according to the band, the sound and aesthetics of the word were key to the naming. The band later disbanded in 2022.
Biography
The group was formed in 2013 by former musicians from the bands Disposed to Mirth, Shake the Pagoda Tree, Progress Utopia and Myterror.{{Cite web |title=Interview: Vitja (David Beule) |url=http://www.musicnstuff.de/-people/article/interview-vitja-david-beule.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314175650/http://www.musicnstuff.de/-people/article/interview-vitja-david-beule.html |archive-date=14 March 2018 |website=musicnstuff.de |language=de}} The group quickly got a recording contract with Redfield Records, which resulted in the debut album Echoes was released.{{Cite web |date=7 June 2013 |title=VITJA - bei Redfield Records |url=https://www.allschools.de/news/show/VITJA_-_bei_Redfield_Records |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Allschools |language=de}}{{Cite web |date=10 January 2014 |title=Vitja - Echoes - Review |url=https://www.burnyourears.de/alben/39145-vitja-echoes.html |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=BurnYourEars Webzine |language=de-DE}} Vitja played in August 2013 as a substitute for Silent Screams on the For Those About to Mosh Tour with Martyr Defiled.{{Cite web |date=2013-08-08 |title=Martyr Defiled - Vitja statt Silent Screams als Toursupport |url=https://www.metal.de/news/martyr-defiled-vitja-statt-silent-screams-als-toursupport-54892/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=metal.de |language=de}} In July and August 2014, Vitja toured several places in Europe supporting Texas in July and Iwrestledabearonce.{{Cite web |title=IWRESTLEDABEARONCE - Europatour mit TEXAS IN JULY und VITJA im Sommer 2014 |url=https://www.partyausfall.de/news-iwrestledabearonce-europatour-mit-texas-in-j-20849.html |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=partyausfall.de |language=de}}
In February and March 2015 the band played a German tour supporting Annisokay and Callejon.{{Cite web |last=Hilger |first=Florian |date=6 January 2015 |title=Annisokay: Enigmatic Smile erscheint im März |url=http://magazin.shout-loud.de/annisokay-enigmatic-smile-erscheint-im-maerz/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806225042/http://magazin.shout-loud.de/annisokay-enigmatic-smile-erscheint-im-maerz/ |archive-date=6 August 2020 |website=Shout Loud |language=de}} The band has been confirmed for Summer Breeze and Vainstream in summer 2015.{{Cite web |last=H. |first=Malte |date=2014-12-10 |title=Summer Breeze 2015: Belphegor, Gloryhammer und Vitja dabei! - Reaperzine |url=http://www.reaperzine.de/news/summer-breeze-2015-belphegor-gloryhammer-und-vitja-dabei |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=reaperzine.de |language=de}}
On 6 February 2015, the group's first EP, Your Kingdom, was released via Redfield Records.{{Cite web |date=19 January 2015 |title=Vitja – Neue EP im Anmarsch! |url=http://www.vanitycore.com/vitja-neue-ep-im-anmarsch/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123040852/http://www.vanitycore.com/vitja-neue-ep-im-anmarsch/ |archive-date=23 January 2015 |website=vanitycore.com |language=de}}
In 2017 they supported Emil Bulls on their tour. In the same year her album Digital love was released, which represented a change in style towards more melodic Metalcore with a higher proportion of clear vocals.{{citation|author=Jenny Josefine Schulz |title=VITJA – Digital love |work =Fuze-Magazine |volume= |number=62 |publisher=Ox |location=Solingen |date=2017 |pages=61 |quote=While 'Echoes' from 2013 and the EP 'Your kingdom' from 2015 musically still were very homogeneous, 'Digital love' now surprises with a rather different sound. The fat, Djent-like sound has given way to more melody, and clear vocals, which sometimes also goes a bit in the direction of chanting, make up a very large part of the vocals.}}
The following year Vitja's next album Mistaken was released. However, very shortly after the release, the band canceled their planned "Mistaken" tour and kept quiet about the reasons for several months until May 2019 when a new singer was presented with the release of the latest single "Back".{{citation|author=Jenny Josefine Schulz |title=VITJA – Thirst |work=Fuze-Magazine|number=77 |publisher=Ox |location=Solingen |date=2019 |pages=60 |quote=Almost a year For a long time it was very quiet about VITJA. Unfortunately, the rumor mill wasn't that quiet, but then came the meaningful announcement of the return with the first new single "Back". (...) VITJA have a new singer.}} Singer David Beule, founding member of the band, had been replaced by Gabriel Spigolon, who like him performs the metal band's guttural vocals.
The band finally broke up in April 2022. The main reason given is the lack of a common basis after many years of change.{{Cite web |date=5 April 2022 |title=Vitja lösen sich auf |url=https://cybmag.de/vitja-loesen-sich-auf/ |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=cybmag.de |language=de}}
Musical style
The interviewer at Dearly Demented attributed the group to the metalcore scene, but also to the djent scene. Andreas Kuhlmann of the Ox-Fanzine describes the music as comparable to Veil of Maya and Volumes.{{Cite web |last=Kuhlmann |first=Andreas |title=Review - Echoes |url=https://www.ox-fanzine.de/review/vitja-echoes-91104 |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Ox-Fanzine |language=de}} Rock Hard magazine's Volkmar Weber describes Vitja as one of many "Metalcore/Djent hybrids".Volkmar Weber: Rock Hard: [http://www.rockhard.de/megazine/reviewarchiv/review-anzeige/32269-echoes.html Vitja – Echoes review]
Discography
- 2013: Echoes (album, Redfield Records)
- 2015: Your Kingdom (EP, Redfield Records)
- 2017: Digital Love (LP, Century Media Records)
- 2018: Mistaken (LP, Century Media Records)
- 2019: Thirst (LP, Arising Empire)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.facebook.com/vitjaband Vitja] at Facebook
- [http://www.redfield-records.de/?redfield=artists&artists=vitja Vitja] at Redfield Records
Category:German metalcore musical groups
Category:Arising Empire artists
Category:Musical groups established in 2013
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2022