Tvangeste

A highly rated symphonic Black Metal act created in Kaliningrad during August of 1996 by vocalist / guitarist Miron (real name Michael Chirva) and erstwhile OBSESSION guitarist Nicholas Kazmin. Later recruits during 1998 were DIS PATER and ROMOWE RIKOITO keyboard player Victoria Koulbachnaia and bassist Vano Maioroff from Death Metal act DIVERSION. The same year TVANGESTE debuted with the single 'Blood Dreams' and a demo entitled 'Thinking…'. The name "Tvangeste" refers to the Old Prussian fort known as Twangste (Tuwangste, Tvankste) which was renamed Conigsberg (Latin: castrum Koningsberg, Mons Regius, Regiomonti) by the Teutonic Knights who conquered it in 1255. Königsberg was renamed Kaliningrad in 1945 after the Soviet Union annexed northeast Prussia. Although the band had deferred from live work a deal was gained the the Russian arm of the Century Media label and recordings were comitted for a debut album 'Damnation Of Regiomontum' which, after various delays, was completed in January of 2000. The album sold well domestically, soon surpassing the 5'000 mark. By December a distribution deal to handle 'Damnation Of Regiomontum' internationally was struck with Valgader Records. A follow up album, 'Firestorm', proved to be a lavish affair, recorded in Poland and utilising both church choirs and the Kaliningrad Symphony Orchestra. By this juncture the band had inducted an additional keyboard player in Naturelle Chirva. Roman was later added on drums.