Oh look, another “modern” metal band from the Balkans, because apparently Europe hasn’t had enough of those. But hey, at least it’s not another power ballad about lost love or a disco track that makes you question your sanity.
So, LAVINA, a six-piece metal band from NiÅ¡, Serbia, formed in the middle of 2020 (right when the world was going to hell, coincidence? I think not), has won Serbia’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. Their song “Kraj Mene” (which translates to “Over Me” or “End of Me” or something equally dramatic, because metal) won both the public vote and the jury vote. The public gave them a whopping 29,759 votes, which is more than double the votes for the second-place song. Clearly, Serbia is ready for some headbanging on the Eurovision stage.
Now, let’s talk about LAVINA’s journey. They released their debut album “Odyssey” in November 2022, because what’s a metal band without a concept album about a long, dramatic journey? They’ve been touring around Europe, playing in countries like Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and probably a few others I’m forgetting. You know, just your typical metal band on a quest to conquer the world, one festival at a time.
LAVINA describes themselves as a mix of “wide range of metal and rock influences with a dramatic and poetic sensibility.” Translation: they’re probably a mix of every metal band you’ve ever heard, but with more eyeliner and angst. They’re also known for their “ever-changing influences and energetic, larger-than-life live performances.” In other words, they’re the kind of band that might set their instruments on fire mid-performance or climb the scaffolding like it’s Mount Everest.
In 2024, they released two singles, “In Your Absence” and “Iron Will”, because nothing says metal like a song about absence and a song about willpower. Then in 2025, they dropped “This, Too, Will Pass.”, which sounds like something you’d say to a toddler having a tantrum, but okay. This single marked a “transition in sound and style,” which probably means they added a synthesizer or something.
Their sophomore album is expected later this year, so if you’re a fan of metal bands that take their sweet time between releases, you’re in luck. And if you’re wondering whether LAVINA has a chance at winning Eurovision, let’s just say the odds are… interesting. The last time a metal band won Eurovision was in 2006, when Finland’s LORDI shocked the world with “Hard Rock Hallelujah”. Yes, the same LORDI that caused a sensation, released a hit album called “The Arockalypse”, and starred in a movie called “Dark Floors” (which, by the way, is not a documentary about actual dark floors).
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
