Tuesday, April 27, 2010

ALKONOST - On The Wings Of The Call


Alkonost is a band that comes from Russia, and, according to the newsletter, are playing Pagan Metal. The reality is that the band is much more interesting than that, and this is rather obvious from the first couple of minutes. Mixing brutal male with operatic female vocals is the first intriguing thing that one might notice. This mixture works well throughout the whole album, and fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the music. The band sings in Russian, another thing that gives a rather unique taste to the listener, and adds points to the whole result. The music is Folk Pagan Metal, although the use of keyboards gives a more "modern" touch, but without sacrificing the feeling. The songwriting is a bit complex, aggressive but also groovy and very melodic. Definitely not an easy album, since there are various elements and inspirations into the music, and you need more than just a simple listening to explore it to the maximum. It's dark and ominous. Epic and Folk. Has killer melodies, and equally killer vocals, specially the female ones. It's full of groovy songs, and a very good musicianship. So, all sum up to an album that will please both the fans of the band, but also those enjoying this kind of music.

8/10

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