Arkona - Decade of Glory - Live

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 March 2013 14:36 Written by EvaLantsoght

Artist: Arkona

Album: Decade of Glory - Live

Label: Napalm Records

Genre: Pagan Metal

Hailing from Russia, Arkona have released the almost three-hour-long live CD Decade of Glory – Live, recorded at the P!PLE concert hall in Moscow. For this special concert, the five members of Arkona had the company of a 9-piece choir, a string quartet and 2 backing vocalists.

Arkona is the creative child of Masha Scream, frontlady of this pagan metal band. While all the typical elements of pagan metal are present in the music of Arkona, the strong focus on woodwinds, the Russian lyrics and the Slavic folk music gives them their own flavor.

Decade of Glory – Live is a versatile album, showing that the music of Arkona is a reflection of Mother Russia herself: from icy Siberian winters, via the emotional Slavic soul to the refined culture of Saint Petersburg. Even though Arkona are a traditional pagan metal band, they remind me of Haggard and Therion due to the symphonic elements in their music.

Considering the reaction of the audience, this concert must have been quite a party. Although the Russian lyrics and comments in between the tracks are difficult to understand, the music seems to be laced with stories of historic Russia.

A few highlights of the album are the popular anthem-like “Slavsia, Rus!” and “Rus”, the very catchy “Zakliatie”, the cossack-choir on “Nevidal”, the Finntroll-inspired “Maslenitsa” and the epic “Po Syroi Zemle”.

Arkona make me want to down a bottle of vodka and bang my head. If you like pagan metal, make sure to check out Decade of Glory – Live.