Blind8

Year founded – 2022
City – Kyiv, Ukraine
Languages – Ukrainian, English
Genre – metalcore, alternative rock

Line-up:

Roman Liashchenko – vocals;
Viktor Bartsiсhovskyi – guitar;
Ihor Liashchenko – bass guitar;
Kyrylo Ozerov – drums.

BLIND8 is a Ukrainian rock band from Kyiv that, already in its first year of existence, released a full-length album, won the support of thousands of listeners, and achieved streaming figures that some emerging bands usually take years to reach.

Formation History

The Ukrainian metal band BLIND8 was formed in Kyiv in early February 2022 – just a few weeks before the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Formally, it was a new name on the Ukrainian heavy music scene, but its members could hardly be called newcomers. Each of them already had experience performing and working with other bands, so the musicians entered the new project with an established professional background and a strong understanding of the stage and audience.

It was precisely the combination of experience from different performers that helped BLIND8 move forward confidently from the very beginning and create music without going through a lengthy search for its own sound.

Creative Journey

BLIND8 released its first track as early as February 2, 2022. The band did not have to wait long for widespread attention from listeners – thanks to a successful collaboration with instrumentalist Alex Yarmak, the musicians quickly achieved significant figures on streaming platforms. At the peak of its popularity, BLIND8 had around 70,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. For comparison, even such well-known representatives of the Ukrainian metal scene as Space of Variations currently have around 50,000 monthly listeners. For a young band, this was a particularly notable result.

Another important achievement was BLIND8’s inclusion in New Core – one of Spotify’s largest official playlists in the genre. At the time, the playlist had around half a million followers, so being featured on it became a significant breakthrough for the Ukrainian band and introduced its music to new listeners.

The next major step was the release of the band’s first full-length album, More Than One, which came out on November 24, 2022. The record brought together 9 main tracks and 3 intros.

Joint Tour with Within Temptation

In spring 2024, metal band BLIND8 announced its participation in the European tour of Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. The Ukrainian musicians were to become special guests at a major series of concerts and perform 33 shows alongside the headliners.

Within Temptation’s tour in support of its eighth studio album Bleed Out began in September 2024. For the members of BLIND8 themselves, the invitation came as a complete surprise – the offer came directly from the headliners’ team via Instagram. After that, the Ukrainian musicians stayed in contact with Within Temptation vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. They had the opportunity to meet the rest of the line-up in person during pre-concert gatherings.

Expectations for the Collaboration

The scale of the upcoming work impressed the musicians: the planned tour involved almost three times as many performances as BLIND8 had managed to give throughout the entire previous period of the band’s existence. Speaking about preparations for the tour, they joked about the inevitable pain in their backs, necks, and knees, while also acknowledging that they had never performed for such a large audience before. They also identified the opportunity to use the scale of the tour to tell European audiences about the situation in Ukraine and draw attention to their country as a separate objective.

However, a serious practical obstacle arose. Two members of the band were serving in the National Guard of Ukraine. In April, band leader Roman Liashchenko announced the upcoming performances, and by July, he and his brother, bassist Ihor, had become military personnel. BLIND8 announced this on its Instagram page.

Despite the new circumstances, the band did not abandon its planned autumn collaboration with the Dutch musicians. On the contrary, the musicians simultaneously announced another important event – a joint track with the band’s vocalist.

Collaboration with Within Temptation’s Vocalist

The song Labyrinth was created with the participation of Sharon den Adel. For BLIND8, this work became another confirmation that music continues to develop even under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. The band emphasized that the military service of Roman and Ihor, who were undergoing military training at the time, did not become a reason to abandon their creative plans. On the contrary, it made them hold on to their chosen path even more firmly and prove that art can bring light even in dark times.

New Achievements

In January 2025, BLIND8 released the song locked in the cage, dedicated to the state in which a person literally finds themselves trapped inside their own mind. The song conveys the experience of a protagonist who cannot free themselves from inner doubts, fears, and a sense of isolation. This track particularly clearly demonstrates an approach that is gradually becoming a recognizable feature of BLIND8 – combining emotionally powerful melodies with intense, heavy instrumentation.

The lyrics of locked in the cage focus on pain, fear, and the desire to break free from a psychological trap. The musicians described it as an opportunity to take a deeply personal look at a person’s struggle with intrusive doubts and loneliness – states in which many listeners may recognize their own experiences. For this reason, they view the composition as a kind of anthem for the struggle against one’s own thoughts.

Creative Development

Already in February 2025, the band gave a major concert at Atlas in Kyiv. In August 2025, BLIND8 presented the single shattered strand and a music video for it. The composition became the next chapter in the love story that the band had previously begun with the track the ghost beside you.

The new song is structured so that the music conveys the dramatic tension of the story. Powerful vocals, rich guitar sound, and a dynamic rhythm create a feeling of constantly balancing between despair and catharsis. As a result, the composition can almost be physically felt through its emotional energy, capable of making the listener experience the story alongside its characters.

shattered strand delves into the story of a relationship on the verge of breaking apart. At the center of the narrative is an attempt to maintain a connection with a loved one who remains almost the only source of support amid inner chaos.

The release also included instrumental versions of the ghost beside you and shattered strand. The music video for shattered strand was directed by Yevhenii Vahenyк. The visual work incorporates several images and symbols embedded in the lyrics of the composition, including the dark sun and the motif of a storm, which reinforce the overall dramatic atmosphere.

Music Style

BLIND8’s style stands out noticeably on the contemporary Ukrainian heavy music scene. Atmosphere, emotional intensity, and the quality of the sound itself are important to the band. The group’s music is designed not only to impress with a heavy sound but also to create a particular emotional space into which the listener becomes immersed along with the composition.

The foundation of the band’s sound is powerful, downtuned, massive guitar riffs. The musicians combine them with rhythmic breakdowns. This creates a dynamic characteristic of the contemporary heavy music scene, where tension steadily increases with every passing second.

Another important technique used by BLIND8 is what can be described as playing with musical extremes. Extreme vocal techniques – screams and growls – convey aggression, tension, and despair, while clean vocals are responsible for the melodic side of the compositions, adding sensitivity to them.

A rich electronic component also plays an important role in the band’s sound. It complements the guitars and rhythm section, makes the sound more spacious, and helps BLIND8 create the signature atmosphere in which heaviness is organically combined with melody.

Song Themes

BLIND8’s lyrics are predominantly in English, although the band’s repertoire also includes tracks in Ukrainian. Among them is the collaborative song «Arteria», recorded together with Burned Time Machine.

The band’s lyrics focus heavily on psychological experiences, existential questions, and complicated human relationships. The musicians do not limit themselves to brief emotional sketches – in many compositions, they develop full-fledged storylines through which they reveal the inner states of their characters.

One recurring theme is inner struggle and mental traps. In BLIND8’s songs, people often find themselves alone with their fears, doubts, or past experiences that influence their subsequent behavior. At the same time, the musicians turn to dramatic love stories, portraying relationships through the lens of loss, self-sacrifice, fear of separation, and attempts to preserve intimacy. Another important theme in the Kyiv band’s work is the search for light in the darkness, when even in the most difficult moments there remains an opportunity to find the strength to move forward.

Civic Position and Social Activity

For BLIND8, professional musical activity has been connected with support for Ukraine from the very beginning. The band members combine their creative work with defending the country and large-scale volunteer efforts. Even during the period of European touring and rapid career development, helping the Ukrainian Defense Forces remains the band’s primary focus.

Through concerts at Ukrainian venues, a large-scale European tour, and sales of official BLIND8 merchandise, the band has already raised more than UAH 5 million for the needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The musicians also regularly participate in major solo and collaborative charity releases. The band cooperates with Musicians Defend Ukraine – a foundation that supports Ukrainian musicians currently serving at the front.

BLIND8’s performances on major European stages have an important purpose. The band uses its international audience as an opportunity to speak about the war in Ukraine and draw attention to the problems facing Ukrainian society.