About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Russia’s pagan metal machine continues their victorious march.



Pros

• Varied, powerful and emotional vocals.
• Music is mood evoking and diverse.
• Genuine atmosphere.

Cons

• Lighter-hearted in scope; may turn off firm old fans.

Description

• Released November 3, 2009 on Napalm Records.
• This is Arkona’s fifth LP.
• Self-produced by the band.

Guide Review - Arkona - 'Goi Rode Goi'

Russia’s Arkona certainly don’t seem to do anything on a small level, as evidenced by the near laundry-list of guest appearances and musicians present here on the interestingly titled Goi, Rode, Goi!


All of the hard work seems to have paid off for the quintet, however, as this—the band’s fifth full length proper—is easily the band’s best work to date, encapsulating all of Arkona’s certified and unquestioned stylistic mastery into one epic piece of art.

From sprawling, fifteen minute epics [Na Moey Zemle (In My Land)] to shorter, punchier numbers, Goi, Rode, Goi! follows just fine in the footsteps of its breakthrough 2007 predecessor, Ot Serdtsa K Nebu by offering a similarly authentic take on aggressive pagan folk metal. While the stench of blood ‘n battlefield still holds high in the air, Goi does a follow a surprisingly light-hearted path at times, however, almost reminiscent of the Finnish huumpa acts Finntroll and Korpiklaani.

Proud frontwoman Masha does her best to smash any preconceptions, however, delivering once again on the promise of an impassioned and powerful performance. Masha’s choral melodies fit in perfectly alongside the album’s thunderous double bass drumming and churning guitars, while traditional folk instrumentation lends each of these songs yet another added layer of depth and dynamic.

In this day and age where every band carrying a plastic sword and shield set is called “folk” or “battle” metal, it does the heart and soul a bit of good to see an act like Arkona, whose own hearts clearly bleed and beat for their art. Arkona just may be one of the best pagan acts making the rounds today, and it certainly shows here on Goi, Rode, Goi!