Review by Carl on January 9, 2024.

Rape Pillage And Burn, it's what happens when you bring together members of Dismember and the awesome Divine Eve. Releasing only this sturdy EP, and then vanishing into nothingness, unfortunately leaving the name to fall into obscurity. Which is a bleeding shame, really, because this is not to be sniffed at.

Taking into account the people involved and the resumes they carry, it will probably not surprise anyone that this unholy union resulted in an outfit that plays old school death metal, completely made by grandma's recipe. And in this case, that grandma spoken of is none other than Tom Warrior himself, because this has Hellhammer DNA sloshing around everywhere.

Rape Pillage and Burn fits in snugly between other acts delivering steel-plated, traditional death metal such as Pentacle, Funeral Nation, Cianide and of course Divine Eve. Influenced by the earliest progenitors of the genre such as the already mentioned Hellhammer (and Celtic Frost), but feel free to add the names of NME, Venom and Slaughter as well, because they all left some traces in there. The band has built their sound on a foundation of jagged primitive hammering riffs underpinned by an equally no-frills pounding percussive approach, completely devoid of technical wank or progressive leanings whatsoever. The band takes the blunt approach to their music, and while being uptempo for most part, they never go super fast, primarily keeping to a simple sturdy beat driving the music forward. On top of this approach comes the raw-throated growling voice of Michael A. Sleavin, who manages to combine the sound of Venom's Cronos with that of Chris Reifert of Autopsy, providing heaps of old school vibes throughout. It's not all caveman death metal pounding here, though. Maybe it's because of the presence here of Richard Cabeza, but I did pick up on some Dismember and Unleashed touches in some of the riffing at times, alleviating the straight-forward stomp somewhat with a touch of Swedeath riffing here and there. In the context of the unrelenting old school death metal-isms the band showcases during the runtime of this EP, this adds a cool edge to proceedings, fitting in well with the rest of the music. In the album closer "With Venomous Tongues" the foot goes off the accelerator completely, letting an Autopsy vibe creep in that moves along at a geriatric snail's pace, leaving slimy trails everywhere. Yeah, these guys know how to old school death metal, no doubt about that.

But there is some left to desire, unfortunately. While not a disaster, it's a shame that the production is kinda flaccid. Music of this kind needs a powerful sound to it, think of how a lot of Cianide's work sounds, but that is just not in the cards here. While certainly evenly balanced out, the guitars and percussion sound pretty weak, as if played with only half power. There's just very little strength to them, which drains a portion of the power from the otherwise great music. Something you can also hear in the guitar leads, they are simply present, adequate but simply sounding way too nice and friendly for music as stomping as this.

Despite the kinda lacklustre production, this is still a damn solid offering of ye olde schoole death metal, but what else was there to expect from individuals with credentials such as this? I hope these guys will converge again at some time and place, because this EP should get a follow-up, and preferably one with a less sterile, more lively production than this one.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 28, 2023.

“Nocturnal Arkonian Hordes”, ornamented with a very attractive artwork, is an album that can be used to cement the good reputation of Polish black metal in the worldwide scene. “No Blood in My Body” is a creation that bundles all positive elements of this work. For example, it houses a lot of parts with massive machine gun drums that trample everything into dust. By the way, the high speed drumming lends the songs a very thick density. But Arkona also manage other approaches. The beginning of the aforementioned song is not its most furious section. Arkona feel free to start with a sinister melody line. It sets the stage for the remaining five minutes in an almost perfect manner. Listen to it, feel the atmosphere and you will probably understand that the word “nocturnal” does not appear in the title by chance. Of course, “No Blood in My Body” also holds the evil voice which does not offer a lot of variety, but many misanthropic and hateful vibrations. However, the best detail of the song is the piano that surfaces suddenly. Its pretty harmonic tones fight with the brutal inferno of the other instruments. I cannot say which side wins this battle, but I am sure that the piano enriches the sound of this album, at least in this highlight.

I have already mentioned the vocals. It’s very sad that the lead singer died in 2017 (R.I.P.). On this recording, he sounds pretty one-dimensional, but this is in no way an accusation. Messiah works as the stable, hostile component in the overall construction of Arkona’s material. Even better, it feels as if he was full of passion for the art the band created. This is understandable in view of the unbreakable power that “Nocturnal Arkonian Hordes” develops. Perhaps some people might say the very fast parts are at risk of appearing sterile in rare moments, but I think they are just a brute force. And black metal is, maybe you share the following, very daring thesis, no lullaby music and a proper dose of violence is an inherent element of the sub-genre. Bands like Summoning are just the exception which confirms the rule. Thus, I enjoy the most aggressive parts of the full-length very much, even though the drums act according to the motto: a lot helps a lot.

But let’s get away from Witchlord, the hyperactive hero behind the drum kit. Instead, let’s have a look at the guitars. It’s not only the majestic closer which presents cold, almost magical and effective melodies. Or should I say melodic fragments, because harshness subjugates harmony permanently. Anyway, the necessary (small) portion of melodies is well embedded in the merciless sound of Arkona’s third full-length. This is surely a positive detail, but it gets even better: all my words of praise refer to each and every song. Arkona were too lazy to pen a boring number. This fact results in a compact, almost monolithic album that knows no loss of quality during its playtime of 42 minutes. No doubt, the six properly produced tracks of “Nocturnal Arkonian Hordes” form a chain without weak link. Moreover, they lend the release a very commanding, totalitarian aroma. From my point of view, this release is even better than the youngest (good) albums of the band, because it is not free from an insane touch. Therefore I am sure that black metal fans miss a good listening session if they do not know this restless, profound outburst of musical and spiritual strength.

Rating: 8.8 out of 10