Skambankt is a Norwegian hard rock band. Initially, the band's image and so… Read Full Bio ↴Skambankt is a Norwegian hard rock band. Initially, the band's image and sound was inclined towards politically charged punk rock, but after their revival, they gradually transitioned into hard rock similar to that of Motörhead, albeit with noticeable influence from punk rock bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, The Stooges and other punk rock bands from the 70s and 80s. All the lyrics are written in the band's native Norwegian Klepp dialect; frequent lyrical subject matter includes betrayal, violence and corruption. In English, the band's name translates roughly to "beaten up badly."

Skambankt was founded in Klepp, Rogaland, Norway in the year 1994. The line-up consisted of Ted Winters (Terje Vinterstø) on guitar and vocals, Don Fist (Tollak Friestad) on bass, and Hanz Panzer (Hans Egil Løe) on drums. In this configuration, the group played sporadic shows in Klepp and local areas, and some demos were recorded. Interest quickly waned and the band dissolved in 1996. Some of the songs written during this period, such as "Demoattakk" would be recorded upon the band's re-formation.

Ten years after its formation, in 2004, the original Skambankt line-up met at a stag party where there was a stage with full backline. Some time after midnight, a decision was made that the band was to be revived. They recorded some basic demos and gained some exposure through Urørt, a Norwegian radio showcase for unsigned talent. Some changes were made to the line-up; Hanz Panzer switched to the guitar and his brother, Tom Skalle (Tom Egil Løe) became the new drummer. They eventually signed a record deal with Dog Job, and recorded their first album, the self-titled Skambankt, which came out in 2004. As Winters was also a member of Kaizers Orchestra, a small number of that group's fan base embraced Skambankt as well, fueling their rising underground popularity.

Subsequently, Skambankt earned a reputation of being a live band to watch after playing at many prestigious festival shows in Norway, Denmark and Germany. Their first notable rise to fame was their concert at the 2005 Roskilde Festival, where they played for 20,000 people. In 2005, they recorded and released Skamania, an EP containing six new songs and two videos, for "KKK!" and "Me sa nei!", respectively. The style of the EP's music and lyrics is considered a transition between the band's original style and the hard rock style they would later adapt. Shortly after the release of Skamania, Tom Skalle quit the band, and was replaced by Bones Wolsman (Børge Henriksen).

On 29 January 2007, the band released their second studio album, Eliksir. The album received positive reviews and even made it as far as the 8th place on the Norwegian album charts in its first week. The band toured throughout 2007 and played a small number of shows in 2008, despite the fact that Winters performed as an active member of Kaizers Orchestra for most of the year.

That fall, the band booked a studio from September through October, where they went on to record what would become the band's next album, Hardt Regn. The album was released on 26 January 2009, with a subsequent release party and tour following shortly thereafter. The album received many positive reviews and stayed on the Norwegian album charts for six weeks, peaking at the #5 spot. Three singles were released; "Malin", "O Dessverre" and "Kom hell", the latter two of which had music videos shot for them which were played in heavy rotation on music video shows on Norwegian television.

The first single from their then-untitled fourth studio album, "Mantra", was released digitally on 17 May 2010 - the Norwegian Independence Day. The album, Søvnløs was released on 6 September 2010. A limited edition remastered LP box set (whose version of Skamania contained three bonus tracks) comprised of all their releases up until Søvnløs, was released on 8 November 2010.

In 2014, all of three years after their last album, Skambankt released Sirene in late January. So far, it is the most critically acclaimed album of theirs, having amassed glowing reviews from more than ten reputable Norwegian publications, including Dagbladet, one of the "Big Three" of Norwegian newspapers. The first single from the album was "Voodoo", released earlier that month.

O dessverre
Skambankt Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Någen lige å ligga i teten,
Andre lige sannheten
Någen lige bare leken,
De lar andre ta støyten
De har fått det som de ville
For det har skjedd i det stille
Men etter solskinn
Kommer regnvær

O Store Dessverre,
O dessverre

Når regnet blir hardt
Då ser me så klart
Når regnet blir hardt
Settes hardt i mot hardt
For når regnet blir hardt
Så kommer harmen
Så kommer varmen

Der finnes rettferdighet
O Store Dessverre
Me har tolmodighet
O Store Dessverre
Så langt har me vært snille
Men snart kommer skillet
Fall av et rått parti
O Store Dessverre
O dessverre

Når regnet blir hardt
Då ser me så klart
Når regnet blir hardt
Settes hardt i mot hardt
For når regnet blir hardt
Så kommer harmen
Så kommer varmen

Når regnet blir hardt

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Skambankt's O Dessverre speak about the unfairness in life, where some people are always in the lead, while others bear the brunt of their actions. Some people are just carefree and don't care about the consequences of their actions, leaving others to pay the price. Unfortunately, these people often get what they want and continue to thrive while causing harm to those around them. But the comeuppance always comes, like the rain after the sunshine. The chorus repeats the phrase "O Dessverre," which is Norwegian for "Oh, unfortunately." It is as if the singer is resigned to the fact that there is nothing that can be done about these unfair situations.

The song also speaks about how difficult times reveal people's true character. When the rain comes down hard, everyone's true colors are revealed. The strong stand firm, while the weak crumble under the pressure. But through it all, justice will always prevail, and those who have been patient and kind will eventually be rewarded. The phrase "O Store Dessverre" also seems to be a reference to a higher power, perhaps implying that unfortunate situations are just part of life's grand plan.

Overall, Skambankt's O Dessverre is a powerful song that speaks about the unfairness and hardships of life, but also about the resilience and strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

Någen lige å ligga i teten
Some are just up front and leading the way

Andre lige sannheten
Others just tell the truth

Någen lige bare leken
Some are just playing around

De lar andre ta støyten
They let others take the blame

De har fått det som de ville
They got what they wanted

For det har skjedd i det stille
Because it happened in secret

Men etter solskinn
But after the sunshine

Kommer regnvær
Comes the rain

O Store Dessverre
Oh, great unfortunately

O dessverre
Oh, unfortunately

Når regnet blir hardt
When the rain gets tough