ARKONA - new video!

"Pokrovi nebesnogo Startca" New Videoclip!



The roots of Arkona are to be searched for in the beginning of 2002, when the members of local pagan community "Vyatichi" – Maria "Scream" Arhipova and Alexander "Warlock" Korolyov decided to form a band, according to their ideology and musical tastes. Initially, the band was called "Hyperborea", it consisted of: Maria "Scream" Arhipova (vocal), Eugene Knyazev (guitar), Eugene Borzov (bass-guitar), Ilya Bogatyryov (guitar), Alexander "Warlock" Korolyov (drums), Olga Loginova (keyboard). In February 2002 the band was renamed into "Arkona". The musical materials of the band were pagan/folk metal based and the lyrics had an idea of ancient national beliefs and history of Slavonic Russia . In the end of the year it was decided to record several songs as a demo-record. The process of recording took place in December 2002, at CDM-Records studio. The demo consisted of 3 tracks – "Kolyada", "Solntsevorot" and "Rus'"Now this record is included into live-play album "Zhizn' vo slavu" (2006) as bonus material. Since the beginning of 2003 the band has started its concert activity. Many people heard them for the first time at "Yazycheskaya Rus'" fest, which was held 8th February 2003 at "Estakada" club. Other bands that took part there were Butterfly Temple , Pagan Reign, Svarga, Rossomahaar. Until summer 2003 the band performed a few local concerts, and then the question of debut LP recording was raised. Unfortunately, by that time, several band members had lost interest for the further musical creativity, and in September 2003 the band Arkona dissapears. Maria decided to keep on solo and asks her Nargathrond project mates for help in recording an opening LP. She got all the orchestration written down and musicians obtained them for learning and training. By March 2004 the first LP "Vozrozhdenie" was recorded without even a single rehearsal. Nowadays this LP is spread all over the world and has received its recognition. It is recognized as one of the most successful Slavonic pagan metal LP ever. Immediately after studio work, Maria dedicates herself to the creation of new songs, and by the end of summer 2004 the material for the second album "Lepta" was ready. It was recorded the following autumn with the same musicians. The album was released in December 2004 and, though LP continues the same old themes from "Vozrozhdenie", it is done in more dark and gloomy style. In the recording of this LP (as in the recording of previous one) took part a poet and vocalist Les’yar ( Nevid', ex-Butterfly Temple ), not only as a performer, but also as lyrics writer (the song "Zarnitsy Nashei Svobody"). By the moment of LP release, Arkona revived as a band - it consisted of musicians, which took part in recording of two first LPs. They were: Sergey "Lazar" (guitar), Ruslan "Knyaz'" (bass-guitar), Vlad "Artist" (drums). Since the beginning of the year 2005 the band could be seen again performing live. Irrepressible creativity of Maria doesn’t let her stop and by summer 2005 the band starts recording the third LP, the most complicated and varied album "Vo Slavu Velikim". The band decided to give up on using any synthesized instruments and used real ethnic instruments, so the list of musicians, that took part in this recording, considerably extended. One of the invited was a famous folk-musician Vladimir Cherepovskiy (Mervent, ex- Voinstvo Sidov, Veter Vody, Trio Mario) and members of bands Svarga and Alkonost. The orchestration for the songs sometimes included over 100 record tracks, but the band overcame these difficulties and in September 2005 the LP gone gold. During its presentation the live performance was recorded and was released as a DVD and also included into live LP "Zhizn’ vo Slavu". The band is not going to stop and repose on its laurels and at present is at work upon the fourth LP, the recording of which is going to be started in summer 2007.Arkona on Ragnarök festival