Origin: Russia
Formed: 2007
Genre: Alternative / Pagan Metal
Status: Split‑up
Label: Огнекрест Productions
Themes: Paganism
Кропот (pronounced Kropot) was a Moscow‑based alternative/pagan metal band active between 2007 and 2013, known for blending folk‑influenced pagan themes with a modern, groove‑leaning metal sound. Emerging during a period when Russian pagan metal was expanding stylistically, Кропот positioned itself on the more alternative and melodic end of the spectrum, incorporating bayan (a Russian button accordion), clean and harsh dual vocals, and rhythmic structures that leaned closer to alternative metal than traditional blackened pagan forms.
The band’s first release, the demo К истокам (2009), introduced their core aesthetic: mid‑tempo riffs, folk‑tinged melodies, and lyrics rooted in Slavic pagan identity and ancestral memory. The presence of bayan player Pyotr Tsvetikov gave the music a distinctive tonal character, setting Кропот apart from many contemporaries who relied primarily on keyboards for folk coloration. The demo circulated within the Moscow pagan scene and helped the band build a modest but enthusiastic following.
In 2011, the EP Назад дороги нет (“There Is No Road Back”) marked the band’s final studio release. The EP showcased a more polished sound, with tighter arrangements, stronger vocal interplay, and a clearer integration of folk instrumentation into the metal framework. Thematically, the release continued to explore pagan spirituality, personal struggle, and the symbolic return to ancestral roots. Members of the band were also active in related pagan and folk‑metal projects such as Боянов Гимн, which contributed to Кропот’s visibility within the scene.
Despite promising development, the band ceased activity around 2013. No official breakup statement was issued, but the departure of members into other projects and the lack of further releases effectively marked the end of Кропот. Today, the band is remembered as a small but notable part of the early‑2010s Moscow pagan metal movement, appreciated for its unique instrumentation and its earnest engagement with Slavic cultural themes.
Kladez – bass
Ilya Jazz – drums (also in Боянов Гимн)
Vladimir Zyryanov – guitars (ex‑Боянов Гимн)
Pyotr Tsvetikov – harmony, bayan
Ilya Chechel – vocals (October, Боянов Гимн, Cult of Aloe, Mea Culta)
Chucky – vocals (ex‑Боянов Гимн)
Annarchistka – guitars (2011–?) (ex‑Боянов Гимн, ex‑Коррозия Металла, ex‑Asterion)
Past
Bronekalmar – guitars
Demo
К истокам (2009)
EP
Назад дороги нет (2011)