Arkona / Goi, Rode, Goi! - Review - heavymetalcosmos.eu

(Napalm Records)

Release Date: 2009
Origin: Russia

The time for Arkona’s 5^th full-length album is near. At the end of October this unique Russian band will release its first album with Napalm Records (who also re-released their previous album) so their challenge to conquer larger audience is ahead. Of course in the circles of pagan metal Arkona is one of the best bands, but when a band signs in a bigger label, usually major changes occur. So let’s see what their next step forward will bring to them and what will they offer to us.

Luckily their unlimited talent, experience and personality left their music totally unaltered and “Goi, Rode, Goi!” is their best and most complete album so far. Arkona have the “luxury” to have (in my opinion) the biggest “front-man” in the whole pagan metal scene, which happens to be a woman! Masha Scream has one of the most characteristic growling / screaming vocals around, while her clean folk singing is by far the best in this genre. If it was to describe this album with few words it would be: pagan folk metal manifest! This work lasts for 80 minutes with 14 amazing songs of Slavic pagan metal. Melodic guitars and countless traditional instruments combined so naturally, in Arkona’s personal sound. Compared to their previous album “Ot Serdtsa K Nebu - From the Heart to the Skies”, this album is less experimental, with less acoustic songs. They emphasize in their pagan metal sound, varying from folk metal to pagan black metal, with Mascha giving her best performance so far, while choir vocals also appear in more parts than before.

“Goi, Rode, Goi!” is actually like an all-star pagan metal album, with the participation of many guests from top groups of the genre. Musicians from Svarga, Rarog, Kalevala, Månegarm, Obtest, Skyforger, Menhir, Heidevolk, Ashaena and Tverd among others were invited in this amazing album. Most of them appear on the 15 minutes epos “Na Moey Zemle (In My Land)” and help also in the choirs and the traditional instruments. Of course not only metal, but also classic and folk musicians participate in this album that contains, apart from the typical metal instruments, tambourines, shaker, khomuz, balalaika, yakut jaw-harp, gaita gallega, blockflute, small pipe, tin and low whistles, sopilka, zhaleyka, okarina, accordeon, violin, kokle, tulnic, domra, mandoline, as well a string quintet and a female choir! What is most amazing is that the band has a very balanced and tight sound and everything is heard so natural and in the right place, revealing a very serious and professional effort.

My favourite song from this album is “Liki Bessmertnykh Bogov (Faces Of Immortal Gods)”, where Mascha’s vocals are totally “out-of-this-world”!! Of course a special reference must be made on the amazing “Na Moey Zemle (In My Land)”, a metal opera, where a Russian wanderer travels across Europe to find a land that will make him happy. Along the way he meets different people from various cultures and all guest musicians [Skyforger (Latvia), Obtest (Lithuania), Månegarm (Sweden), Menhir (Germany), Heidevolk (Holland)] sing in their native language. Especially the parts where Heiko Gerull from Menhir sings with Masha (two of my favourite singers), sounds like the perfect combination to me!

Unlike other bands, their success didn’t alter their music in a negative way, nor drove them in more “commercial” paths. “Goi, Rode, Goi!” is a 100% Arkona album in the sound we loved them. There are no compromises… On the contrary they sound more extreme and fierce than before. Kris Verwimp painted their lovely artwork and he couldn’t do anything better than that! If you have any appreciation in the folk pagan metal scene and you should get one album this year, save your money until the end of October, that Napalm will release this masterpiece. Until then, check their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/arkonarussia or this preview video.

dimiarch

14.10.2009