Arkhaaik‘s pitch of bronze age hunting metal, complete with lyrics written in Proto-Indo-European, is one that naturally attracts skepticism. It sounds like an attention grabbing gimmick. I was assured that new album Uihtis is more than that, that it had a certain tribal feeling to it, but even so I more than half-expected something mundane, cheesy, or just dull. It’s hard to make metal that truly captures something different while still sounding good. Arkhaaik have managed it.
The core of Uihtis‘ sound is a mix of stompy doom-death and black metal tremolo that has ten minute plus run times to build and build. Arkhaaik add a variety of synth and vocal techniques to that to help avoid monotony and build that bronze age hunting feeling, like the howling noises on “Geutores Suhnos” and choral chanting on “Hagrah Gurres”, but these are like heron feathers hanging off of a spear. The damage is all done by that core mix of sounds, and Arkhaaik are adept at keeping that lively. Song transitions are timed well and riffs are brought back to provide a sense of coherence and building narrative, as on “Guetores Suhnos” with its central pounding melody. At their best, it all comes together to create a sense of primal ceremony and thrill of the hunt. “Kerhos Mehnsos”, the last song on Uihtis, is the perfect example of peak Arkhaaik with its riotous high pitched horns and pounding drums. It makes me want to get up, throw an animal skin on, and dance around a fire screaming.
For some reason, coincidence or change, every album I’ve fallen hard for this year has had a consciousness shifting element. Uihtis has made that list. It makes me imagine a darker, more primitive, more triumphant time. I have no idea whether anything Arkhaaik are doing here is at all actually reconstructive of the Bronze Age’s realities but I’m fine with that. They evoke a time that is now, and they’re sufficiently great at doing it that I like to think our long ago ancestors would have appreciated this. Even if they wouldn’t have, I do. Arkhaaik bring rousing energy and transcendental ritualism in one seamless, heavy, great-sounding package and I will be blasting Uihtis for a long time.
