Во славу великим!

Arkona, alongside their fellow-countrymen of Svarga, may well be amongst the best acts the bludgeoning Russian folk/pagan metal scene has to offer. Both bands are actually tied in some way, as two members of the aforementioned Svarga, including their amazing accordionist, are playing on this album. And what an album!

As surprising as it may sound for a band of this sort, Arkona’s music is not immediate to get into. I’ve to admit this album rather disappointed me the first time I listened to it. In a few words, the content here is without doubt complex. Using the term progressive would be a tad far-fetched, but you get the idea. It’s not progressive in the sense of overlong tracks and solos or outstanding technicity, as though there are some punctual solos, there are far from being the most memorable part of the release, and coming to technicity the guys certainly know how to play their metal, but don’t ask for much more.

This work would actually be progressive in term of complex structures, encounter of different styles, musical research, and slightly emergent insanity. Viking-influenced power metal which could stand the comparison with Ensiferum, stupid polka moments a la Finntroll or Korpiklaani backed by accordion, flute and tambourine, more slowed down epic parts with occasional orchestrations, without forgetting the punctual blastbeats and the slight black metal touch – you’ll find all these elements and many more, often intertwined in the same song. Just listen to the masterpiece Rus’ Iznachal’ naya to understand why I wrote before that this mixture sounded rather crazy. It’s just as if this amazing band had explored the folk genre to its ultimate boundaries, from its softest to its heaviest side.

Furthermore, this act seems to dispose from unlimited energy resources, and to do another stupid pun it may be fronted by a chick, but it undoubtedly has balls. Harsh female vocals, when done well, can display an unsuspected level of both madness and aggressiveness, and it’s the case here, but it’s still nothing compared to the almost ear-piercing shrieks miss Masha can occasionally produce to honour her nickname of “Scream”. Add to this the ever-present epic choirs, the both male and female clean parts, scarce but well-done, complete it by this pinnacle of vocal arrangements which is the interlude Tuman Yarom, and you’ll understand that once again the guys were willing to look after every detail of their work.

The epic feeling of this record almost never fades though it lasts around one hour, which is unusually long for release of this kind. The only letdown may be the eighth song Vedy Proshlogo which is more or less a filler, but it only seems like the band was stepping back to jump further as, right after a little one-minute long transition of natural sounds, greatness kicks in again with the both crushing and majestic Gnev Vremen, another highlight of the album this time reminiscent of the bombastic Viking metal of Moonsorrow. And it’s another epic journey which will last until the closing track, by far the softest here with its melodic, almost melancholic ending, but far from being the weakest.

Now if you can find your way through this forest of both metal and folk instruments – I don’t know exactly how many different instruments are used on this album, but it seems again rather unbelievable – you won’t regret it a single bit. Forget cheesiness, ridicule or monotony which often plague the genre, Vo Slavu Velikim is by far one of the cleverest pagan metal releases of these last few years – and, I tell you again, it’s truly INSANE.

Highlights: Rus’ Iznachal’naya, Zov Bitvy, Gnev Vremen, Vosstanie Roda