adg211288 Слово (Slovo) is the sixth full-length album by Russian folk metal act Аркона (Arkona), which was released in 2011. It follows on from the EP release Стенка на стенку (Stenka na Stenku) which was released earlier in the year, of which the EP’s title track also appears here. Like prior releases the album features a number of guest musicians including Meri Tadic of Eluveitie, and a full orchestra.

Now Аркона has really been on a role with their albums since 2005’s Во славу Великим! (Vo Slavu Velikim!). Each release has been pretty much faultless and they’ve delivered three masterpieces of their genre in a row. So logic says that eventually they’re going to trip up and after the fan’s only release that was the Стенка на стенку EP, I did wonder if Слово might end up being the release that did that tripping up. To be honest even then I was still expecting a solid album from Аркона since as a band they’re still miles ahead of many other acts, but to my pleasant surprise if this is that hidden tree root on the forest path then Аркона has casually stepped over it and delivered yet another folk metal gem. While thoughts of ‘how?’ may resonate through my mind at them being able to do a fourth album this great, here’s why it is.

The presence of the orchestra gives the album more of a symphonic feel than any of the band’s prior work, but I wouldn’t call Слово a change in direction for Аркона, more like it’s an expansion of their vision. Their use of actual instruments to produce their folk sounds remains and as usual I can’t find anything to fault with their take on the folk melodies. What’s perhaps more notable for the metal fan is that there seems to be some additional prominence given to Sergey "Lazar"’s guitar riffs, with gives the band’s songs some additional metal bite, not that they weren’t heavy to begin with since the band is rotted firmly in the extremer side of the folk metal genre. Back to the orchestra it doesn’t steer Аркона onto the symphonic folk path that acts such as Turisas follow. This is still very much a folk metal album with the band’s typical extreme metal leanings, but the orchestra really adds extra depth to the sections of the album it’s used on, and the resulting sound is an Аркона that is even more epic than before, which is quickly heard on the opening introduction track Азъ (Az’).

While music is in some ways typical for Аркона (but then bear in mind that typical Аркона is usually nothing less than masterful), Слово is notable for not sounding like a re-working of past releases. All the key elements of the band’s sound remain with the expansions outlined above, but the album has its own identity amongst their back catalogue. The flow of the songs is really excellent, especially the way Азъ moves into Аркаим (Arkaim), which is easily one of the very best that Слово has to offer.

As usual the band varies the approach to the metal side of their music. While there is plenty of room for vocalist and band mastermind Masha “Scream”’s folksy clean vocals, there are also some real intense metal parts where she unleashes her death growl, to the point that some of the music goes all the way into death metal territory, such as in Никогда (Nikogda). The riffs are sometimes more in a black metal vein in some places, although the group never go completely in this direction as they do with the death metal stuff. The folk side is usually leaning towards the darker and melancholy type, which is fitting with the extreme metal, but there are a couple of moments where the folk takes a ‘happier’ turn in Леший (Leshiy) and also in the familiar track from the EP, Стенка на стенку.

One more thing of note is how easily I was able to get into Слово compared to other Аркона releases, even the one’s I now dub as masterpieces. While I normally require a few listens to the albums in one hit to really get into them, Слово captures me right from the start and simply refuses to let go until its conclusion almost an hour later. Better still it doesn’t lose any appeal after becoming familiar with it.

Just how Аркона have managed to make a fourth masterpiece in a row is beyond me, but I’m very pleased that they have. They had me worried after the recent EP, but the doubts I had were ultimately needless. Once again Аркона proves that they are one of the most essential folk metal acts in existence. Overall I have to say that the prior album Гой, Роде, Гой! (Goi, Rode, Goi!) just about tops Слово because Слово does actually have one track that just doesn’t quite sit right for me, which is Потомок (Potomok), but fortunately Потомок is just one of a couple of interlude pieces, and one that doesn’t last even a full minute at that, but nevertheless I have to mention that Слово sounds a ever so slightly less cohesive package because of its presence.

But all in all this is definitely one of the albums of the year, and it is worth noting that it has been an extremely good year.

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven, scored at 9.7/10)

adg211288 Возрождение (or Vozrozhdenie in English text and used herein) is the debut full-length album by Russian folk metal group Аркона (translated: Arkona), which was released in 2004. The album features an almost entirely new line-up from the group’s prior demo release, with the only constant being frontwoman Masha “Scream”. The sound of the record is notably different from later releases by the band, as at this stage in their career Arkona seems content to create their folk melody through use of a synthesiser, rather than the assortment of actual traditional instruments that graces their more recent releases.

This admittedly gives the album something of a synthetic feel in regard to the folk parts, but otherwise this is good first album from the band. The riffs are heavy and Masha’s vocals are stunning, being a mix between cleans that are very fitting to folk music, and harsh vocals, which she also does extremely well. Masha is the highlight of the album, because while her vocals are stunning, her compositional skills also make her stand out from the crowd. The synth dominated sound of Vozrozhdenie means that overall the album isn’t as stunning as it could be, the compositions are generally great and well performed, and the production gives the release a professional sound fitting to the heavy riffs and backing synths. Some of those synth parts sound real enough, but overall the ‘faked’ sound of them is a bit hard to miss.

I’m not so bothered about that in the larger scale of things. Masha makes the album a joy to listen to on her own. The main issue I have with the album is that there is a guest vocalist who crops up in a few of the tracks, called Alexey "Lesiar" Agafonov. His vocals add nothing to the album that Masha couldn’t have done better, and I don’t really see the point in bringing in guest singers when your full-time vocalist can handle the parts just fine. His growl is completely inferior to Masha’s, not because it is bad, but because it just doesn’t fit with Arkona’s music in quite the same way. I just fail to see the need for his presence here.

Vozrozhdenie is a good enough album from Arkona, but it’s not a patch on what they would go on to produce. The album is probably best described as a sign of better things to come. Still, its solid material and one of the better examples of snyth driven folk metal that I’ve come across so far. I feel a positive score is still pretty justified for Vozrozhdenie, but recommend that new-comers to the band check out later full-lengths such as Гой, Роде, гой! (aka Goi, Rode, Goi!) as a starting point for the group.

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven, scored at 7.5/10)

adg211288 Стенка На Стенку (aka Stenka Na Stenku and used herein to stick to English text) is a 2011 EP release by Russian folk metal act Аркона (aka Arkona and again used herein). It is the first release since the band expanded their line-up to five full-time members with the inclusion of Vladimir "Volk" on wind instruments. The release contains entirely new material although one song is an acoustic version of the prior full-length’s title track, Гой, Роде, Гой! (aka Goi, Rode Goi!) and the last two are cover songs.

In general the EP has a slightly different feel to it than any of the recent Arkona full-lengths, but I’d be willing to guess that this was actually the intention behind this release; to put out material that would not have necessarily worked within the grand context that is an Arkona album. The sound is more energetic and happy than much of the band’s material, especially the opening title track, whereas Arkona are better known to deliver darker songs, often with apt sad sounding melodies that really fit the mood. Of course the music on offer is still very recognisable as Arkona, and this is a subtle difference that perhaps only an experienced listener such as I would pick up on.

After kicking off with the title track, which is the EP’s strongest offering and moving on through another new song, Валенки (aka Valenki), which is their take on a traditional song, the EP takes on an acoustic direction for the new version of Goi, Rode Goi! I have to be honest that whilst the original is a very powerful folk metal monster, trying to get into this version is pretty difficult and requires several listens. After getting used to it however I found that it’s a very enjoyable version, though it does sound somewhat out of place on the EP, as it’s the sort of thing I’d expect to find in a bonus track, not a central piece of the main release, even if that release is just an EP. It’s easily the darkest sounding track on the release though and is suitable haunting.

Skål!, the fourth track, is a collaboration with the band Varg, who co-wrote the song with Arkona vocalist Masha "Scream" Arhipova. Guest vocals are provided by the band’s frontman Freki. It’s an okay song, but just not one the Arkona’s best. Indeed, it’s the first two songs that really make the EP worth listening to. Following Skål! is Дурень (aka Duren'), a cover from the band Сварга (aka Svarga). Finally to close off the EP is Новый Мир (Ođđa Máilbmi) (aka Noviy Mir (Ođđa Máilbmi)). Although promoted as a cover of the band Shaman (now known as Korpiklaani), the writing credits are actually shared with Masha “Scream” due to lyrical changes. Both are enjoyable pieces, but they further establish the fact that Stenka Na Stenku stands as a very much fans only release despite a solid level of quality.

I guess it can be expected that an EP release won’t be able to stand up to what a band does on their full-lengths. Stenka Na Stenku is pretty much a textbook example of that. The release is enjoyable enough but doesn’t sound like it will be winning Arkona over any new fans anytime soon. For the fan however Stenka Na Stenku is certainly a good release to tide you over until the band releases a new full-length, which hopefully will be able to retain the extremely high level of quality that the band delivered on Во славу Великим! (aka Vo Slavu Velikim!), От Сердца к Небу (aka Ot Serdtsa K Nebu) and most recently on Гой, Роде, Гой! (Goi, Rode Goi!). If you’re an Arkona newbie reading this then my advice is to seek out any of those three albums and only once you consider yourself a fan to come and check out Stenka Na Stenku.

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven, scoring 7.3/10)

adg211288 Гой, Роде, Гой! (aka Goi, Rode, Goi! in English alphabet, which will be used herein so this review doesn’t keep flitting from English to Cyrillic text and become a drag to read) is the fifth full length album by Russian folk metal act Аркона (trans: Arkona, again used herein), which was released in 2009. This album is a couple of years old now but I decided to take a brief intermission on my 2011 reviewing to say some words on this very special album/band, because Arkona is one folk metal band who really knows how to pull off the genre in the most authentic way that few of the bigger known folk metal acts seem to be able to replicate and after reviewing a couple of releases that dismally failed to capture folk metal at what it should be - despite being good albums in their own right - I needed to be listening to something that was folk metal done perfectly, hence the inspiration to write this review.

Folk metal stands as probably the metal genre with the most variation in the way it is delivered, but that doesn’t always mean the result will sound authentic, even if it is good in its own right. Many bands create folk sounds through use of synths or folksy leads on the guitars. Arkona actually started by using synths to create their folk sounds, but really found their way on their third album which has continued through to Goi, Rode, Goi! Although Arkona still use keyboards in their music, here you’ll also find an assortment of many traditional instruments including flutes, whistles, bagpipes, mandolins, recorders, ocarinas, domras and balalaika. Arkona is also on the more extreme metal side of folk metal, delivering material that is melodic, but can be extreme as well, sometimes even leaning towards death metal (something heard particularly well in Коло Нави (trans: Kolo Navi)), and the combination works perfectly, with the fact that the band sings in their native Russian adding an extra level of authenticity to their brand of folk metal, and on Goi, Rode, Goi! Arkona has produced an album that, like the preceding two offerings, Во славу Великим! (trans: Vo Slavu Velikim!) and От Сердца к Небу (trans: Ot Serdtsa K Nebu), stands as some of the most authentic sounding folk metal that this reviewer has had the pleasure of coming across. It also happens to be some of the best.

As I stated above, Arkona stands as one of the heaviest folk metal bands around and that’s mostly because aside from some heavy guitar riffing from guitarist Sergey “Lazar”, the band is fronted by one Masha "Scream" Arhipova, whose vocals range from melodic cleans to full on death growling, with both styles usually turning up in each song. In the current metal scene something of a fuss seems to be made about female growlers, but in comparison to some performers, Masha doesn’t seem to get much attention, despite the fact that she can both sing and growl, and do both exceeding well, something showcased throughout Goi, Rode, Goi! and there is no doubt in my mind both on a professional and personal level that both vocalist and band should be getting more recognition. The whole band performs exceptionally well and although Lazar isn’t the type to throw in a guitar solo that often, the lead aspect of the music typically being given over to folk instrumentation, he demonstrates his skill in tracks such as На моей земле (trans: Na Moey Zemle) and when he does throw in a lead it is extremely fitting with the song, avoiding any mindless soloing that some groups insist on.

Speaking of that track, it stands as a particular highlight of the album. A fifteen minute piece, the songs features a number of guest vocals from many different bands, each of them singing in their native language as the track tells a story of a warrior who leaves his homeland to seek happiness in other countries. In each country the warrior meets people (the guest vocalists), who explain to him what it means to be happy in their land (in English the song title is ‘In My Land’) and eventually inspires him to return home where he finds happiness in his own land. The use of all the guest vocals gives the song an extra level of greatness. The guests including the vocalists from the bands Månegarm (Sweden), Obtest (Lithuania), Menhir (Germany), Skyforger (Latvia) and Heidevolk (Netherlands). This is about as epic as folk metal gets.

Of course it isn’t just this one song that tells a story. In keeping with being a folk metal band Arkona’s lyrics draw on Slavic mythology and Russian folklore, with each song telling a story, including one of their namesake, Arkona, which was the last pagan Slavic city-castle that was destroyed by Christians in 1168. The track stands as another highlight of this very strong album, along with its powerful title track, Ярило (trans: Yarilo), a short, catchy and energetic piece about the Slavonic god of the spring sun, as well as the likes of В цепях древней Тайны (trans: V Tsepiakh Drevney Tainy) and Лики бессмертных Богов (trans: Liki Bessmertnykh Bogov). There isn’t a really bad moment on the whole album though, which perhaps my only quibble being that the final track, Небо Хмурое, Тучи Мрачные (trans: Nebo Hmuroe, Tuchi Mrachniye) seems a bit drawn out after the main songs appears to be finished, with sounds of running water lasting for a good while before we get to hear some instrumentation again. Although this is somewhat in keeping with the mood of the album I did feel this was somewhat unnecessary. It’s like a hidden track, just with running water instead of the usual use of silence.

However that doesn’t alter the fact that Goi, Rode, Goi! is a folk metal masterwork. Folk metal and indeed metal in general does not get better than this. This is, along with the previous two albums, absolutely essential listening for any self-respecting folk metal fan. As for anyone else, well you can do far worse than to give this album a listen.

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven, scoring 9.9/10)