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Imperium (1996)
Recorded at the end of 1994 and finally released two years later, Imperium is the debut album from Arkona. This is one of the very best black metal albums to ever come out of Poland, easily better than the likes of Behemoth or even most Graveland, and definitely adheres to the northern style.
The production and mix are quite good for this kind of music, clear enough for everything to be heard but still retaining a bit of rawness. The guitar tone is thin and fuzzy, which adds a cold feeling to the melodies and perfectly suits the material. The lyrics are in Polish, and the vocals are grim and anguished. His voice carries real conviction. The songwriting is varied and dynamic, avoiding the minimalist approach of relying on just one or two riffs. The songs are structured to create an epic feeling, especially on "Skrajna nienawiść egoistycznej egzystencji", which feels like being taken on a journey. The music can go from blisteringly fast, with riffs slicing right through you, to more atmospheric, mid-tempo passages. There are many haunting, memorable melodies throughout the album, with occasional clean guitar adding a sense of gloom. The build-up and release near the middle of "Jesienne cienie czekające na kolejną reinkarnację" is one of the most powerful parts of the whole record.
Just about all of the songs here are re-recorded versions of those from the An Eternal Curse of the Pagan Godz demo, just with different titles. One can definitely hear traces of Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse, which was released a couple months before this material was written. "Wściekłość która nadchodzi" is more straightforward with riffs that wouldn’t be out of place on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas or Under a Funeral Moon. Some of the more dreary and melancholic moments even share similarities with Mütiilation.
This has been incorrectly cited as symphonic black metal in various places online. Apparently, some people don’t understand the difference between using keyboards in the background to accentuate the atmosphere, as Arkona does here, and using synths as a lead instrument that dominates the sound and pushes the guitars and drums aside. In this case, rather than coming off as cheesy or overblown, the keyboards are just another tool used toward the overall goal of creating a bleak yet sometimes majestic feeling.
Arkona’s debut is their strongest release and easily outclasses most Polish black metal. Imperium captures the defining elements of mid-’90s black metal, combining a cold, raw sound with epic songwriting and atmosphere. This is highly recommended.
The production and mix are quite good for this kind of music, clear enough for everything to be heard but still retaining a bit of rawness. The guitar tone is thin and fuzzy, which adds a cold feeling to the melodies and perfectly suits the material. The lyrics are in Polish, and the vocals are grim and anguished. His voice carries real conviction. The songwriting is varied and dynamic, avoiding the minimalist approach of relying on just one or two riffs. The songs are structured to create an epic feeling, especially on "Skrajna nienawiść egoistycznej egzystencji", which feels like being taken on a journey. The music can go from blisteringly fast, with riffs slicing right through you, to more atmospheric, mid-tempo passages. There are many haunting, memorable melodies throughout the album, with occasional clean guitar adding a sense of gloom. The build-up and release near the middle of "Jesienne cienie czekające na kolejną reinkarnację" is one of the most powerful parts of the whole record.
Just about all of the songs here are re-recorded versions of those from the An Eternal Curse of the Pagan Godz demo, just with different titles. One can definitely hear traces of Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse, which was released a couple months before this material was written. "Wściekłość która nadchodzi" is more straightforward with riffs that wouldn’t be out of place on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas or Under a Funeral Moon. Some of the more dreary and melancholic moments even share similarities with Mütiilation.
This has been incorrectly cited as symphonic black metal in various places online. Apparently, some people don’t understand the difference between using keyboards in the background to accentuate the atmosphere, as Arkona does here, and using synths as a lead instrument that dominates the sound and pushes the guitars and drums aside. In this case, rather than coming off as cheesy or overblown, the keyboards are just another tool used toward the overall goal of creating a bleak yet sometimes majestic feeling.
Arkona’s debut is their strongest release and easily outclasses most Polish black metal. Imperium captures the defining elements of mid-’90s black metal, combining a cold, raw sound with epic songwriting and atmosphere. This is highly recommended.
(22 June 2025)
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