Introductory note: This review is for three re-released albums, collected in one text. The cover art displayed in this review is from the Lepta – since it’s the best of the three. Cover art from the remaining two albums, and loads of other good stuff, including mp3’s, are available at www.arkona-russia.com – which I recommend!
The first musical rituals was performed by Arkona in 2002, and since then the Russian outfit has spewed out a demo, four (very) full length albums and two live recordings. That’s quite a bunch in only six years. Considering the quality and originality of the music they haven’t got nearly enough attention. Luckily their label agreed with me on that one. The result: three re-issued treats for the pagan/folk metal fan-base – of which I count myself a proud member!
The first rites of Svantevit
Arkona is the name of the last bastion of the pagan Slavs, the last fortress of the worship of Svantevit, the fourheaded God of war and fertility. Does it get any more pagan than that? Yes! Arkona the Band revives the ancient myths with their first full length, Vozhrozhdenie (which means “Revival”, but I didn’t know that until after I wrote this sentence…) – which is nothing less than a pearl of an album. Most of the songs, like the hypnotic “Rus” (“Russia”), the title number of Arkonas only demo, are slow and sort of mourning. The slow awakening of the primordial entities of the Slavic mythology. In other songs, such as “Brate Slavyane” (“Brothers Slavs”), the same entities wake fully – with a vengeance, fueled by the power of antiquity. And the influence of power metal… During the album the songs tends to get more intricate and/or victorious or violent. I don’t know if this is intended, but it sure works! “Zalozhny” (“Self-murderer”) is a good example of that. The final song, “Zov Predkov” (“Call of Ancestors”) is a very slow and melodious synth piece, marvelously interrupted by a short pang of grinding metal that would leave Dødheimsgard envious.
The music is carried by the lead singer, a Russian girl called “Scream”. Despite the name, she sings clean and she good at that. She’s backed up – sometimes – by male growl/screech that is more typical of black metal than anything else. The instrumentation is standard for all metal, but with a hyperactive keyboardist as a very welcome addition – primarily filling in with sounds of pipes, folk strings and other medieval instruments. I guess the most singular fact about this album is that it was recorded without any rehearsal. It shouldn’t influence the rating, but it does.
Svantevit roused
On Lepta (“The Contribution”) even more notes are struck, even more folk instruments are implemented, and the music is growing faster and darker. “Scream” is still the main artist (and composer, etc.), but more extreme vocals are giving voice to the god of war that has now risen from the oblivion of time. Svantvit is back and he’s pissed. A sort of tragic operatic mood transverses Lepta, although the largest difference between Lepta and its predecessor remains the aggression and viciousness of the latter. It’s clear that even though Vozhrozhdenie and Lepta was both recorded in 2005, the band and everyone in it has moved and improved a lot. The bass player, Ruslan “Kniaz”, especially has found a better spot on this record. The drummer, Vlad “Artist” (???) has made a quantum leap in musical aptitude. If I should dare a bold comparison I would call Arkonas Lepta the perfect blend of Dimmu Borgir, Moonsorrow and Turisas – three bands I really like. That sinister and grim background with all those folk elements on top is marvelous. And the very “Russianess” (no other word quite cover it) of it all is intriguing. The Russianess of Pushkin and Dostoyevsky, Prokofiev and Mussorgsky – in other words: that dual feeling of sorrow and happiness, the bittersweet; tragedy mixed with victory – so utterly unique for Russia.
Lepta should appeal to a much broader audience than Vozhrozhdenie. The album proves two things: 1) that Russian/Slavic pagan metal is a subgenre, almost unto itself, and 2) that pioneers like Bathory didn’t live for nothing, and that their heritage – however changed to fit the peculiarities of a local pagan community it appears – lives on in full vigor. So does the four-headed god…
Victory Hymns
Vo Slavu Velikim! (”For the Glory of the Great Ones”) is every bit as celebratory and up-beat as Lepta is dark and gloomy. Once again, the individual musicians has moved light-years upwards, regarding their ability to play and – most importantly – play together. The epic victory songs flows like the Slavic rivers – all unique in its own right, but ultimately gathering in the great Baltic Sea. The album has that very rare quality: When you put it on, you can't just listen to a single track. It's an epos, a unity. The obvious drawback – if this had been a normal album – is the lack of outstanding hits, but fear not: Arkona delivers. ”Zov Bitvy” (”Call of Battle”), for example, has that lai-lai-lai-thing that folk metal is born from, same goes for ”Vedy Proshlogo” (”Vedy of the Past”). These are among the party tracks and fits nicely into the same drunken nights as ”Trollhammeren” by Finntroll, ”Iron” by Ensiferum and ”Holmgard and Beyond” by Turisas.
Naturally the production and post-production of this album is much better too.
It's clear that by this point Svantevit has left the trappings of the past. He's out again, he won the fight and it's bloody party time. Pour yourself some mead, call your friends and get ready for cheerful chaos. The god of war is back!
All in all
These three albums represent an explosive progression of talent developing. The way Arkona works with thematic elements and weaves them together with such rock-solid music is spectacular. The short intervals between the three albums shows superior dedication and/or talent of prodigious proportions. I'm utterly impressed.
The only thing left to say is adressed to Arkona themselves: Sorry about the ass-kicking we gave you in the Baltic Crusades. Glad to see your are back in good shape!
Vozhrozhdenie
Rating: 75/100
Artwork rating: 65/100
Lepta
Rating: 80/100
Artwork ratring: 80/100
Vo Slavu Velikim!
Rating: 95/100
Artwork rating: 50/100
