Arkhaaik is a fascinating band. Usually, when a metal project endeavors to write a historically-accurate deep dive into ages gone by, they make some kind of power metal, and the ages are Middle. Maybe the ages are pre-1,000s, and they make black metal. But rarely—if ever—is the age Bronze, but I guess when the topic is the Bronze age, the band is blackened, death-y, sludge-y annihilation, and their name is Arkhaaik. Today’s topic is Uihtis (“the hunt”), which represents these Swissy’s second foray into this deep, deep history. Previously reviewed here by Carcharodon, it’s been five years since *dʰg̑ʰm̥tós, their debut full-length release. That’s a drop in the bucket as far as their historic subject matter goes, but plenty of time for a sound to evolve. Have Arkhaaik discovered iron on Uihtis?
As with *dʰg̑ʰm̥tós, Uihtis is inspired by history that is beyond ancient. It is written in a reconstructed approximation of Proto-Indo European, the presumed language from which most European languages are descended. Uihtis explores the world of Bronze Age hunting from physical and spiritual lenses, and tries to capture the prehistoric experience through the reconstructed language, brutal riffing and melodies, and an intense blend of death and atmospheric metal. Everything from the guitars to the drums to the vocals is huge. No song is shorter than ten minutes, and elements of ritualistic melody are similarly big—dominating, guttural chanting, hypnotic drumming, and nature samples, twisted into something stranger. Arkhaaik don’t mind that you have no frame of reference for their inspiration. The music does all the talking for them.
In his review of *dʰg̑ʰm̥tós, Carcharodon noted that “this debut feels unfocused and as though Arkhaaik have not yet figured out how to properly meld their ritual cult stuff with the more metal elements;” Uihtis shows they are getting closer. Unlike *dʰg̑ʰm̥tós, there are very few extended passages of ambience or ritualism. Instead, the music itself is adorned with the aforementioned rhythmic chants and ritualistic melody. This is, as I mentioned, a great thing for Uihtis’s concept, but it also means that the music itself is melodic and fun to follow. Alien though the subject matter may be (at least to me, who is not in any way, shape, or form a hunter), the melodeath-like riffs of “Geutores Suhnos” are easy to understand, because they’re awesome. The vocals in particular are mighty—”Hrkþos Heshr Hiagom” muscles its way into your skull with dominant, death metal riffing, but it’s the primal roars that really dominate. As Uihtis barrels along, the blend of ritual, riff, and roar blends together to create a remarkable union of an album, one where the songs, concepts, and passages feel like they’re contributing to one grand idea of an album.
On the other hand, it can be less than ideal for each song on an album to feel like it’s blended with its neighbors. Uihtis is comprised of four songs and clocks in at just under fifty minutes. I’m not opposed to long songs on principle, but I do feel like Uihtis could have been shorter than it is. “Geutores Sunhos,” for example, is my favorite on the album. It’s huge, it’s riff-tastic, and expertly blends Arkhaaik’s heavy, melodic, and ritualistic ideas. Midway through the song, there’s a furious blackened interlude that builds up to the final chorus, a huge, ominous barrage of riffs, chants, and melody. When that chorus winds down, ten minutes in, it feels like the song should too, but there are still a full five minutes to go, and I can never honestly recall them after the song ends. This feels like a repeated theme through Uihtis, where each song has a unique and exciting main idea, but is prone to wandering for a few minutes here and there.
Arkhaaik have taken what seems to be a unique idea and really made it their own on Uihtis. Their blend of melody, heaviness, and (pre-)historic inspiration makes them extremely compelling. While I do think Uihtis contains a little too much here and there, it all culminates into a fascinating journey, one I think is well worth experiencing. Arkhaaik has an affinity for storytelling, and the atmosphere is truly fun to experience, and their music is all the better for it.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Eisenwald Records
Website: arkhaaik.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: July 25th, 2025
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