Šank Rock

Šank Rock is a Slovenian rock band from Velenje, formed in 1982 and playing hard rock and glam rock. The first line-up was Matjaž Jelen on vocals, Miro Mramor and Zvone Hranjec on guitars, Aleš Uranjek on drums and Cveto Polak on bass, with Peter Slanič later joining on keyboards.

Their debut album, Pridite na žur, came out in 1987 after they began working with the Velenje manager and producer Rajko Đorđević, and the band quickly became known across Slovenia, especially on the coast. In 1988 Miro Mramor left for Chateau and Davor Klarič replaced Slanič; Dobro in zlo (1988) and Jaz nimam noč za spanje (1990) followed.

In 1991 the guitar virtuoso Bor Zuljan took Hranjec's place, and Šank Rock IV, recorded with him, is described as the band's breakthrough. Moj nočni blues followed in 1992 and the live V živo na mrtvo in 1993. In 1995, invited by New York managers, they went to the United States and recorded Shut Up and Play / Poglej v svet, but the members could not agree on staying. Back home with drummer Silvano Leban they released the unplugged Bosa dama and, in 1998, Šank Rock X, after which they stopped by mutual agreement.

Šank Rock reformed in 2002 with the best-of Od šanka do rocka, then released Vzemi ali pusti (2003), the live Na mrtvo v živo (2004), Senca sebe (2006), with Roki Petkovič replacing Zuljan, and Šank Rock – 25 let (2008). In January 2011 Polak and Jelen left and the band broke up.

A one-off show at the Pivo in cvetje festival in Laško in 2014 turned into a comeback: Restart (2015) mixed new and re-recorded songs, and Nekaj več followed in 2017. On 14 June 2023 Šank Rock celebrated more than forty years with a concert at Vista park in Velenje and the single "Se še spomniš". The live album Romantično, recorded at Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana on Christmas Eve 2024, came out in 2025, followed by the singles "Danes je dan", "Nisi kriva ti" and, in 2026, "Pomisliš kdaj name", with new guitarists Andrej Rot and Marko Zorec beside Jelen, Polak and Uranjek.