
Although I have heard Arkona a few times prior to the release of the band’s 2016 ‘Lunaris’-album, they were never much more than a solid band delivering some equally solid releases. Nothing more, nothing less. With the usual ups and downs of every band, the discography just silently piled up and Arkona, which has actually been around since 1993, only sporadically caught my attention actually. Up until ‘Lunaris’, that certainly felt like a totally different record, as if all the things that Arkona was after in the preceding years fell into place. The great multi-layered melodies and epic riffs formed a ravishing Melodic Black Metal record that was presented in a more than fitting heavy production.
Yet, and here it comes, for some reason I hardly ever grab the record to give it a spin. But when I do, or when, in a lazy mood, I am treated to a song from ‘Lunaris’ (or its 2019 follow-up ‘Age Of Capricorn’) via a Spotify shuffle list, I am still amazed by how good it actually is. And each time I am trying to answer the question: why do I keep forgetting this one? Even when there is a new Arkona record out, I am not as eager to listen to it than I should be. Is this just a coincidence and is this how the mind works, sometimes, or is there more at play here?
Although, of course, I can only speak for myself, there also seems to be something broader going on. Because besides the fact that I rarely pick ‘Lunaris’ out of the collection, the band is also just as rarely seen on the (international) stages. And how often do you hear or see the band pass by when the conversation is about Black Metal – or even Polish Black Metal?
‘Stella Pandora’ proves once again that none of this is necessarily justified. Indeed, the upward trend that started towards ‘Lunaris’ has continued even after that. Perhaps the effect of surprise is a little off, but it is clear that we are dealing with a band that knows what they are doing. They never seem to be in a hurry and deliver exquisitely finished jobs. Again, this almost 50-minute album is expertly crafted with nice melodies, catchy riffs, good rolling drums and excellent tempo changes. In other words, this is yet another album that passes with flying colours and definitely deserves its place in any Black Metal collection.
But the shoe probably pinches it in that same place. ‘Stella Polaris’ will suffer the same fate as ‘Lunaris’ and ‘Age Of Capricorn’: it won’t be grabbed very often. At least, by me – again, let me speak for myself. Why? The album is undoubtedly extremely well put together and the musicianship at times stunning…. but it perhaps doesn’t overwhelm enough to really stand out in the endless mass of Black Metal releases of the last two decades. The cynical conclusion might be that the band simply peaked too late. But, don’t let this stop you from giving ‘Stella Pandora’ a chance, it’s well worth it. And maybe I’m just completely wrong.