Arkona - Stella Pandora (2024)

Unleashing one of the fiercest Black Metal releases of the last few years, today we have Poland’s Arkona and their masterpiece “Stella Pandora”. Not to be confused with the other Arkona’s, this band delivers no bullshit pummeling Black Metal with a knack for melody and atmosphere. Clocking at nearly 50 minutes, this six track release will feel like a direct punch to the face, so be prepared to be blown away.

Opening with “Pandora”, the band sets a very enigmatic and mysterious atmosphere, as it suddenly goes berserk with piercing riffs, brutal drumming, and crafty atmospherics. Drac’s vocals and bass guitar line give the music that extra brutal edge, and we love it. Things turn to more melodic territories with the dreamy opening of “Altaria”, which suddenly escalates with a double kick lead and more hellish vocal onslaughts. The band’s ability to fuse melody and melancholy with brutality is unrivaled, and when paired with an impressive production it sounds amazing.

After the moody “Necropolis”, one of our favorite tracks, “Elysium”, comes in hot with a barrage of melodic riffing that turns more sinister as the track progresses. Khorzon and Kaamos, the band’s guitarists and songwriters for this release, are perfectly in sync to create some truly demoralizing onslaughts that are both piercing and emotive. Zaala’s drumming is quite impressive, blasting away at songs like “Prometeus” and its devastating tempo changes alongside an intense bass guitar line. This track masterfully mixes atmospherics with tempo changes, creating a very crushing effect.

As a whole, “Stella Pandora” is one crushing release that the listener will take some time to emotionally recover from. The band is firing on all cylinders and delivers one bestial performance in this release. All tracks are very well balanced, featuring sheer brutality and the band’s signature melody and emotion. If you are a fan of Black Metal that is both atmospheric and melodic, while as brutal as possible, do not sleep on this release.

Label: Debemur Morti Productions

Release: September 27th, 2024

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Poland