- Year of foundation – 1999
- City – Kyiv (Ukraine)
- Language – Ukrainian, Belarusian
- Genre – folk rock, folk metal
Band members:
- Serhii Vasyliuk – vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar (since 1999);
- Anton Kotorovych – guitar, violin, vocals (since 2016);
- Vladyslav Vakoliuk – bandura (since 2019);
- Pylyp Kharuk – drums (since 2020);
- Zlatoyar Bass – bass (since 2021).
Tin Sontsya is a Ukrainian folk metal band whose lineup has undergone numerous changes during more than 25 years of the band's existence. However, throughout this entire time, the band has been led by its permanent frontman Serhii Vasyliuk, who has been serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2022.
History of Creation
The official birthday of the band «Tin Sontsya» is considered to be June 13, 1999. This was the beginning of the band's history, although during the first years there were not many concerts. The origins of the band were the creative duo of brothers Serhii Vasyliuk (vocals, bass guitar) and Oleksii Vasyliuk (drums), who recorded their first original composition «Winter». Even then, the musicians began forming their own style, which later became recognizable far beyond the Ukrainian rock scene.
A new stage of development began in 2000, when guitarist Andrii Bezrebryi joined the band. After this, the group became much more active in creating new songs, expanding their repertoire and preparing for a full-scale concert career.
Origin of the Name
The band's name appeared thanks to a natural phenomenon – the solar eclipse that occurred in August 1999. This image became the basis for the name «Tin Sontsya», which later became a symbol of the band's creativity, atmosphere, sound and unique worldview.
Creative Journey
Work on their own material continued intensely, and just two years later the musicians presented their debut album «Holiness of Faith». An important event was also the band's first concert, which took place in 2001 in Zhytomyr at the festival «New Starry Rain», dedicated to Youth Day. This performance remained forever in the memory of the members as their true debut in front of a wide audience.
Later, Andrii Bezrebryi decided to focus on his own project, after which Serhii Vasyliuk reconsidered the band's musical concept. This was when a new genre was born – heavy folk with progressive elements, which the musicians themselves called «Cossack rock». It became a distinctive feature of the band and brought the group its first recognition among Ukrainian rock fans.
On the last day of winter in 2003, Tin Sontsya performed on the Kyiv stage for the first time, appearing at the «Barvy» club during the Firesteal jam session. Soon after, the band received its first festival award at the «Breath» competition, and the group's singles began to regularly appear on Radio Rocks, significantly expanding the audience and popularity of the young band.
Wide Recognition
The real breakthrough in the band's career came in 2005 after the release of the album «Above the Wild Field». This record brought the musicians wide popularity and established their status as one of the most interesting Ukrainian rock bands. A special place in the album was occupied by the large-scale composition «Chuhayster's Song», dedicated to the Chornobyl disaster. It combines ancient pagan mythology with the dramatic history of modern Ukraine. Interestingly, this time the music was not written by Serhii Vasyliuk. «Chuhayster's Song» is a cover version of a composition by the Belarusian band Gods Tower.
That same year, the musicians released the demo album «Beyond the Border», which included art rock compositions inspired by Ukrainian mythology. To enrich the sound, the band invited bandura player Ivan Luzan and violinist Natalia Korchynska. Later, she was replaced by Sonia Rohatska, who quickly became one of the brightest members of the band. During this period, the singles «In Vain» and «Field» were recorded, quickly becoming true fan favorites.
The celebration of Cossacks, Ukrainian mythology and the brightest pages of history continued in the songs of the album «Flaming Ruta», released in 2007. The new release was warmly received by the audience, and the number of the band's fans continued to grow rapidly.
Changes During 2008–2012
The year 2008 became a difficult challenge for the band. Different views on further development emerged within the group, leading to lineup changes. In particular, the creative paths of the musicians separated from Kyrylo Momot, and at the end of 2009 violinist Sonia Rohatska left Tin Sontsya. Finding an equal replacement was unsuccessful, so in 2010 the band returned to a heavier metal sound.
In June of the same year, the musicians presented their first music video for the song «My Moon». The next important step was the release of the album «Dance of the Heart», which was presented on April 2, 2011, at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The record became one of the most diverse in the band's discography, combining different musical genres and moods, which led many listeners to compare it to a collection of the band's best songs.
In 2012, the band traditionally became an active participant in the summer festival season. Concerts took place at such major events as «Zakhid-fest», «Banderstat», «Vyshyvanka-fest», «Zashkiv» and many others, where the band consistently demonstrated its charisma and powerful live energy.
Creative Development
Despite all difficulties, lineup changes and challenges of the time, Tin Sontsya continued creating new music. The band regularly released singles, worked on new albums, actively performed for their fans and introduced fresh compositions to audiences through social media. One of the memorable events was the band's performance before the Ukrainian football championship match between Kyiv's «Dynamo» and Donetsk's «Shakhtar».
In 2016, the musicians presented the album «Stormy Land», where a powerful guitar sound and heavier tone were especially noticeable. After the release, the band went on a large-scale tour across almost twenty Ukrainian cities, with the final concert taking place at the Sentrum club in Kyiv.
2022–2026
During 2022–2026, Tin Sontsya firmly established its status as one of the main musical symbols of Ukrainian resistance. With the beginning of the full-scale war, the band's music gained an even deeper meaning, and concerts became not only artistic events but also important support for soldiers, volunteers and all Ukrainians.
In 2022, the band released patriotic singles «New Dawn», dedicated to the memory of Yurii Ruf, and «For Mother Ukraine». In March, frontman Serhii Vasyliuk joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Combining military service with creativity, the musicians continue performing throughout the country, participating in charity concerts and becoming headliners of major festivals, including «Yoi-fest» and Faine Misto. The band's music remains a symbol of resilience, and each concert focuses on supporting the Ukrainian cultural front.
Style and Themes of Creativity
The musicians define Tin Sontsya's style as «Cossack rock» – an original genre that combines the energy of classic heavy metal with traditional Ukrainian music. The powerful rock sound organically intertwines with bandura, violin and other folk instruments, creating a style that is difficult to confuse with any other artist.
Over the years, the band's style has constantly developed – from energetic heavy folk compositions to large-scale stadium rock with rich arrangements. The musicians boldly experiment, adding elements of punk, progressive music and lyrical ballads to their releases while preserving their own identity.
The main themes of Tin Sontsya's creativity remain Ukraine's heroic history, the Cossack era, folk mythology, the modern struggle of Ukrainians for freedom, love for their homeland and philosophical reflections on the spiritual connection between generations. Special attention is given to compositions about modern defenders of Ukraine, national resilience and faith in victory. That is why the band's music has long become an important part of contemporary Ukrainian culture, and for many fans their songs are a source of strength, inspiration and faith.
Discography (studio albums):
- «Above the Wild Field» (2004);
- «Flaming Ruta» (2007);
- «Dance of the Heart» (2011);
- «Thunder in God's Forge» (2014);
- «Stormy Land» (2016);
- «Enchanted World» (2018);
- «On Heavenly Horses» (2020);
- «Thorny Path» (2021).
Main Hits:
- «Ares' Sword»;
- «Cossacks»;
- «Zaporizhian March»;
- «With Thunder and Fire»;
- «Never Cry»;
- «The Cossacks Are Riding» and others.
Interesting Facts:
- It was to the band's legendary hit «Cossacks» that Oleksandr Usyk and members of the Ukrainian national football team entered the ring at «Euro 2016»;
- Tin Sontsya have repeatedly headlined famous festivals and shared the stage with Ruslana, the bands Haydamaky, Komu Vnyz, Tartak and others;
- the band's motto is «Life beats over the edge!»
