Album Review: Arkona

After 5 years of silence, Arkona returns with their ninth studio album, Kob' (Spell). This is their darkest work, so far.

Arkona is a Russian metal band. They usually play pagan/folk metal, but on this album they incline more to the black metal world and even death in some parts.

The album paints a gloomy picture; six tracks plus an intro and an outro (each represented by a song) in which humanity descends into complete annihilation. A conceptual and fluid album that develops itself from beginning to end with introspective lyrics.

The vocals are guttural and also clean (as are the backing vocals), charging the album with an atmospheric tone that results in an apocalyptic feeling.

The first song, Izrechenie. Nachalo (Saying. Start), introduces the album, with a major presence of synths, not only on this song but throughout this work. The second song, is one of their singles, Kob' (Spell) which deals with the occult.

Mor (Pestilence) has a more black metal sound, obscure and sad anthem.

Razryvaya plot' ot bezyskhodnosti bytiya (Tearing the flesh from the hopelessness of being), a very emotional song that expresses societal problems like wars, religious beliefs, and environmental problems, and how these are taking us to our final demise.

To any Arkona fan, they will find on this album an interesting twist from their previous work. And to a person that just got interested in listening to this band, if you're more into black metal and dark, misanthropic lyrics, you'll love these new songs.

Line-up:

Maria "Masha Scream” Arkhipova – vocals, keyboards
Sergei "Lazar” Atrashkevich – guitars
Ruslan “Kniaz” Rosomaherov – bass
Vladimir "Volk” Reshetnikov – wind ethnic instruments
Alexander Smirnoven – drums

Rating: 7/10
Release Date: June 16th 2023
Released By: Napalm Records
FFO: Heidevolk, Wolfchant, Falkenbach

Tracklist:

1) Izrechenie. Nachalo (Saying. Start)
2) Kob' (Spell)
3) Ydi (Go)
4) Ugasaya (Fading Away)
5) Mor (Pestilence)
6) Na Zakate Bagrovogo Solntsa (At the Sunset of the Crimson Sun)
7) Razryvaya plot' ot bezyskhodnosti bytiya (Tearing the Flesh from the Hopelessness of Being)
8) Izrechenie. Iskhod (Saying. Exodus)