Arkona (Band)
Arkona (Russian Аркона ) is a Russian folk and pagan metal band. The band name comes from a Slavic place of worship at Cape Arkona.
Band History
The band was founded in early 2002 under the name " Hyperborea " by the present singer Maria Arkhipova and former drummer Alexander Korolyov, in February of the same year, the group was renamed " Arkona ". Even at the end of the demo Rus was published.
Although the band in 2003 had some local gigs, including with bands like Pagan Reign or Butterfly Temple, most members lost more and more interest. In September 2003, singer Maria Arkhipova was left as the only member. The following year she recorded the albums Vozrozhdeniye ( German "rebirth" ) and Lepta with guest musicians. The following year Archipowa found new band members with whom the album Where Slawu Welikim! was ( German " In honor of the Great") was added. Was published in 2006 Zhizn Where Slawu with a live album on which the pieces of the demo are included as bonus tracks.
On 31 October 2007 the new album Ot Serdza was k Nebu ( German "From the Heart to the Sky" ) presented during a concert in Moscow. The concert was recorded with six cameras, and finally released in 2009 as a live DVD under the name Notsch Welesowa ( German " Velesnacht "). Also in 2007, gave her debut concert in the Arkona Central Europe on the German festival Rock for Roots in Nauen. In 2008, she signed a recording contract with the Austrian metal label Napalm Records, which released the album Ot Serdza k Nebu in a slightly modified version outside Russia. In the same year they were guests at the Ragnarök Festival. In 2009, there was an appearance planned, but was canceled due to the second pregnancy of Masha.
In spring 2009, the band released the compilation Pojom vmeste ( German " Let's sing together " ) with 15 songs from previous albums. The pieces are all instrumental versions as before, only background choirs are present in some places. The compilation was offered by the band as of 25 April 2009 on the Russian ifolder.ru Download Portal for free download.
On 30 October 2009, the album was Goi, Rode, Goi! published via Napalm Records. For the title track, a music video was presented on October 7. On 17 March 2010, the second video followed to this album, Liki Bessmertnykh Bogov. Another video to Yarilo, which consists of live recordings, followed in late 2010.
On 27 May 2011, the EP Stenka na Stenku appeared ( German " wall to wall "). This includes, among other things, cover versions of two songs from Shaman and the Russian band Svarga, and two new, previously unreleased songs. The title refers to an old Russian custom, deliver to each other a friendly fist fight in which two groups. Beginning of May, was published for the title song of the EP Video.
In August 2011, the current studio album, Slovo was published ( German "The Word "). With a playing time of almost 60 minutes is significantly shorter than Goi, Rode, Goi! with almost 80 minutes; yet more songs are on the album. The end of 2012, beginning of 2013 Arkona go on a European tour, combined with a trip to the third " 70,000 Tons of Metal" cruise. Also they gave the completion of the new live album "Decade of Glory! " ( " 10 лет во Славу " ) known.
In 2013 they went together with Alestorm, Thyrfing, Ex Deo, Wolfchant and Bornholm on the Paganfest Europe tour. In the fall follow an extensive headlining tour of North and South America, and some concerts in Europe together with Therion.
Style
The lyrics deal largely with the Slavic history. According to Maria Arkhipova the music Arkonas is apolitical and in particular free of fascist or anti-Semitic ideas. Character defining for the compositions of the band is the versatile vocals of Masha Scream '. The music is mostly comparable with Finntroll or Månegarm mixture of folk metal and black metal. The melodies are often inspired by Russian music and dominated by flute sounds. On the first two albums Keyboard samples were used for folk melodies on newer albums are increasingly real traditional instruments used.
Discography
Demos
- 2002: Rus ( Русь, Demo)
Albums
- 2004: Vozrozhdeniye ( Возрождение ) (Sound Age Production) 2008: Re - released as Vozhrozhdenie ( Soul Food)
- 2008: Re-Release ( Soul Food)
- 2008: Re - released as Vo Slavu Velikim! ( Soul Food)
- 2008: Re - released as Ot Serdca k Nebu ( Napalm Records)
- 2006: Zhizn where slawu ( Жизнь во славу ) (Sound Age Production)
- 2009: Notsch Welesowa ( Ночь Велесова ) ( Napalm Records)
- 2013: Decade of Glory (10 лет во Славу ) ( Napalm Records / Sound Age Production)
Compilations
- 2009: Pojom vmeste ( Поём вместе )
- 2013: Pojom vmeste II ( Поём вместе II)
- 2013: Akustika ( Акустика )
Music videos
- 2008: Pokrowy Nebesnogo Starza ( Покровы Небесного Старца )
- 2009: Rus ( Русь )
- 2009: Slawsja, Rus! ( Славься, Русь! )
- 2009: Goi, Rode, Goi! ( Гой, Роде, Гой! )
- 2010: Liki Bessmertnykh Bogov ( Лики бессмертных богов )
- 2010: Yarilo ( Ярило )
- 2011: Stenka na Stenku ( Стенка на Стенку )