• humour
• Indie
• Kosovo
• Pinkmetal
• post-punk
• punk

Published on 23/05/2023 11:00 am

Today, Balkan Express goes to Kosovo. The youngest of the post-Yugoslav states, it was long considered the backwater of the region. Not in the least because it was considered as such even before Yugoslavia went tits-up. Add to that the increased oppression during the Milošević regime and subsequent war of independence and you’d be forgiven for thinking of Kosovo as having little to offer in terms of contemporary music. You’d also be dead wrong. Case in point Pinkmetal, a Kosovar punk band.

From Priština with love

Pinkmetal are an all-male act from Kosovo capital of Priština. Formed in 2010, they make identify as somewhere between experimental rock and post-punk. They make no secret of the fact they are influenced by many other bands, both from Kosovo and abroad. Especially the alternative scene in Kosovo seems to be very vibrant and centered around a café-turned-record company by the name of Dit e Nat.

Then again, Pinkmetal seem not to take themselves too seriously, either. They claim, for example, to allow 2.5 inspirations per band member, on average. To which Balkan Express responds, whatever floats your boat, people.

Originally, they l were a four-member band, but somewhere along the way they lost their bass player. So, the current lineup consists of  Adonis Kasneci on guitars, Granit Halili on drums and Fat Limani as the group’s lead vocalist. Their lyrics are laced with humour and they is often fast-paced, bordering on metal.

Third album in the works

So far, Pinkmetal released two albums. Sobaschial in 2013 and Lile E Prišt in 2017, both to great excitement of their fanbase. Apparently, a third album is almost ready to be released. And that is no small feat.

Namely, it turns out that although vibrant, the punk/rock/indie scene in Kosovo is quite tiny. Which means that every time a musician quits or a band falls apart, they leave a gaping hole. Which is why bands like Pinkmetal are indeed very precious.

Check out Pinkmetal on YouTube, Bandcamp and wherever you get your music from and Balkan Express will be back next week.

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Balkan Express takes weekly trips into contemporary musical production of, you guessed it, the Balkans. Forget gusle and tamburice, this show is about rock, pop and a sense of humour. Well, at least there’s guitars. On air most Tuesdays in a new-and-improved time-slot at 1100 hrs. Usually. Your train conductor is Aljaž (aka @pengovsky) who once did the world a solid and decided never to sing again in public. Which is why he ended up doing radio.