Arkona remained authentic since the debut full-length album ‘Imperium’. The band’s line-up includes Zaala (drums), Drac (vocals and bass) and Kaamos (guitar) as they follow the traditional framework of tremolo pickings and furious blast beats that border on symphonic style.

The eighth studio album ‘Stella Pandora’ conveys icy melodies with the guitar creating a razor-sharp aura in the opening track ‘Pandora’. Most of the songs have a time length between seven to nine minutes, which is consistent in conveying a dark and morbiund with an atmosphere of gloomy synth ebbing through the pounding percussion.

The rhythm guitar weaves infectious tremolo-picked riffs while the drums push towards frenzied paces. In ‘Altaria’ we get treated with glorious tremolo melodies and demonic shrieks of Drac are the icing on the cake. ‘Stella Pandora’ evokes the majestic and melodic elements of Scandinavian black metal acts. The thundering percussion and the guitars are more diverse as they shape the songs with catchy symphonic sections and the tremolos trigger an aggressive flow through the fast-paced tempos.

Arkona delivers a timeless and nostalgic album reminiscent of bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Thyrane and Dark Funeral. The song arrangements imbue a classic and raw black metal and are often symphonic, recalling the band’s early albums. The tremolo riffing in the opening of ‘Necropolis’ is pure majestic black metal. The keyboards provide an epic mood and leave space for the crushing mid-tempo drums. Both the keyboards and the drums are impressively played, adding depth to the music.

The synth work in the album is some of the best Arkona has done since the 2016 album ‘Lunaris’. The tremolo-picking riffs are ominous, capturing the symphonic style that dominates the songs. The shimmering melodies fading in and out are quite outstanding.

The powerful and melodic effect of the guitars in ‘Elysium’ comes in the Slavic, aggressive tradition of Arkona. Despite the modern production of the album, the tremolo-filled riffs brim in majestic darkness. The menacing shrieks of the vocals and the flickering synth keep the momentum flowing at a mid-tempo pace. Every song shows a flawless composition from the haunting tone of the growls, furious blast beats and the fast aggressive tremolo rhythms that provide catchy hooks.

‘Stella Pandora’ exceeded my expectations with the quality level that keeps the listener enthralled by the grand orchestrations. The guitar riffing is relentless; offering plenty of hooks and perfectly contrasts the transition from mid-tempo to blast beats.

At times the pace slows down to emphasize the dark aura of the atmosphere. Despite the rawness the guitars have more of a polished sound where each song reaches an epic scale and height. The scathing riffing is combined with powerful blast beats in ‘Prometheus’. The keyboards provide a frigid atmosphere with the blazing tremolos backed by melodic riffs and blasting sections.

Arkona continues to impress us with their unique mixture as the music slows down in the middle and allows the keyboards to create a sinister atmosphere. There are no filler songs among the six tracks each having its symphonic composition. The longest track “Aurora” clocks at nine minutes and the results are epic and sinisterly unsettling. The drumming work is consistent and powerful and maintains a balanced flow between the mid-tempos to fast transitions and the furious riffing creates a demonic atmosphere.

The creative use of keyboards midway provides an ambient feeling that seems to take more influence from modern black metal. The oppressive beats of the drums and the demonic growls at the very end of this song stand out. The orchestration that was lacking in the predecessor ‘The Age of Capricorn’ proves that the songwriting is well-balanced and musically inspired in the follow-up album.

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