Amatris

Amatris formed in Prešov, Slovakia in the late 1990s around vocalist Jaro Smejkal and guitarist František 'Fero' Mikloško. Their debut album 'Popový Dážď' came out in 1999, though it was their third album 'Asteroid' from 2003 that really connected with listeners. The title track 'Asteroid (God's Punishment)' became something of an anthem for them.

That album established their sound, which balanced Smejkal's distinctive vocals with Mikloško's guitar work. The lineup has been fairly steady, with Peter Bič on bass and Michal Kascak on drums. They followed 'Asteroid' with albums like 'Exoterika' in 2007, 'Hádanky' in 2010, and 'Bez Udania Dôvodu' in 2013.

Their songs often carried a certain weight, with titles like 'Broken Chains,' 'Broken Resistance,' and 'Deaths Embrace' suggesting themes that went beyond straightforward rock. They worked in Slovak, as heard on tracks like 'Das Gesicht Der Wahrheit,' and built a following primarily in their home country and across parts of Europe.