Label: Napalm Records
Review by Tony Cannella
From Russia, Arkona has already made a heavy footprint in the pagan/folk metal genre. Now they return with their 7th album (yes, I know, It’s hard to believe) “Yav”. The thing I have always loved about Arkona is the ability to mix in elements of thrash, black metal and traditional metal along with the pagan and folk influences. In Maria “Masha Scream” Arkhipova the band can boast a top-notch front lady – a fact she proves again and again on “Yav”.
Even though “Yav” features only 9-songs, it clocks in at a whopping 68-minute! There is plenty of cool epic stuff here, like the 9-minute opener “Zarozhdeni”. The next track “Na Strazhe Novyh Let” shows off the diversity of the band and is one of the best songs they’ve ever done. At 7 ½ minutes this song goes from folk-ish, slower moments and then incorporates some really insane Black Metal blast beats. The band push more boundaries on the songs “Serbia” and the 13 ½ minute “Jav”. What more can be said about Arkona? They are one hell of a band and “Yav” shows the band continues to grow a progress.
Rating – 88/100
Tracklist
- Zarozhdenie
- Na strazhe novyh let
- Serbia
- Zov pustyh dereven’
- Gorod snov
- Ved’ma
- Chado indigo
- Jav’
- V ob’jat’jah kramoly
Line Up
- Maria “Scream” Arkhipova – Vocals, keyboards
- Sergei “Lazar” Atrashkevich – Guitars
- Ruslan “Kniaz” Rosomaherov – Bass
- Vladimir “Volk” Reshetnikov – Wind ethnic instruments
- Andrey Ishchenko – Drums