Arkona are a band I had read about several months ago and was intrigued to say the least. A Russian, keyboard heavy, Pagan Folk Metal band with a female lead singer who handles both the growling and melodic vocals piqued my interest straight away. And I'm pleased to say that once I got a hold of a couple of their albums I was not disappointed.
This album,
Lepta, was originally released back in 2004 in Russia but was a more than a little hard to come by. Thankfully it has been re-released to let us Westerners get a taste of what we were missing.
Formed by vocalist Marsha Scream under the name of Hyperbora back in 2002, the band was later rechristened
Arkona after the last pagan stronghold in ancient Russian. This band felt that this name change helped to stronger promote their beliefs in ancient pagan ways and customs.
Now since the lyrics are all in the bands native tongue I can't comment on the lyrical themes. This is because, as it turns out, hours spent playing Command And Conquer: Red Alert are not quite enough to give one a mastery of the Russian language (Although I can say
"Da comrade" in a nifty faux-Russian accent). What I can say is that the band have crafted a superb, exotic sounding Folk Metal album, in which the folk elements truly enhance the music without ever sounding forced.
The band underwent several personal changes in the early years before settling on the line up of Marsha on vocals, keyboard and flute, Sergei Lazar or guitar, Rusian Kniaz on bass and Vlad on drums. This line up helped the band forge a rock solid, united musical base on which to expand their concept and vision.
The first track
Centuries Are Woven (Thankfully each track title is translated into English in the booklet) is a good introduction to the bands style. The epic, inspiring keyboard melodies overlay rest of the band's mix of traditional, black and folk metal. And the second Marsha unleashes her frightening death growl at you cannot help but be impressed.
Proving without a shadow of a doubt that women can mix it with the guys, her vocals throughout the album are remarkable. She displays the skill to switch between powerful screeches and alluring melodic singing with the greatest of ease. If the first track didn't convince you then as soon as you head her grunt away in the appropriately titled second track
A Tale About Anger you will be converted.
The inlay does seem to suggest that Marsha handles all the vocals herself but there are points where a second vocalist male vocalist joins in. These dual parts help layer the bands already complex sound further.
Thankfully the band are in no danger of becoming a mere backing band for Marsha's obvious talents as is sadly the way with many female fronted bands today. They demonstrate a fantastic musical ability which runs the gamut of Heavy Metal styles aided by a production which allows each instrument the chance to shine.
You want duel guitar harmonies? How about crushing blast beats? More into wind-swept Black Metal? Or do you prefer polka rhythms ala Fintroll? Whatever your taste I reckon you will almost certainly find something to your liking contained within this release.
My personal favourite would have to be track five
There I Will Be In Open Space. It begins with a happy guitar melody that you could imagine Kai Hansen being proud of then kicking in with some very Power Metal drumming before the jigging folk part begins at 0.45. The chorus is just so wonderful it makes me wish I could understand Russian just for the ability to sing along. This is pretty much as perfect as Folk Metal gets and it's all wrapped up in just over three and a half minutes.
The next track
Fighter Of The Truth takes the album in a totally different direction and sounds almost akin to Emperor and Enslaved's early works with a majestic keyboard melody and powerful riffing. That said there are still points where the traditional melodies creep back in.
Marina is an intense seven minute number with some clever vocal melodies and is the last full song composed by the band. The final track
Oh, Not That Evening is an interpretation of part of a Russian Folk song. And much like bands such as
Falconer they successfully convert songs of their national heritage into their own style. In fact it's a credit to the bands talent and vision that you can't tell the difference between their own compositions and the traditional songs.
This is a superb album that I'm glad is now being given the oppertunity to get the sort of exposure it deserves. If the whole Folk Metal explosion has passed you by or if you have written it off as a fad with little of no worthwhile substance I would advocate giving
Arkona a listen, they more than hold their own with the best the gene has to offer.
Written by
Stuart Wednesday, March 25, 2009
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