Hailing from Togo, Arka’n Asrafokor have laid their claims for being the West African country’s only metal band. With their 2019 debut “Zã Keli” (Meaning ‘Night and Day’ in Ewe, one of the majority languages of their native Togo) laying the groundwork and delivering a mix of groove-laden metal and traditional Afropop and rhythmic tribal influences, they received praise but didn’t quite manage to nail on that explosive impact other traditional inspired metal bands like Alien Weaponry, The Hu, Bloodywood, Concrete Age and Tengger Cavalry had with their releases. “Dzikkuh” (Meaning ‘Bring back the anger’ in Ewe) is the band’s second album and it seems set to finally bring Arka’n Asrafakor to a wider audience. Bringing songs delivered in Ewe, French and English, elements of rap vocals and traditional vocal stylings and music which is delivered in shifting time signatures (most notably 6/8 time which lines up with traditional music from their geographic region), let us see what is brought to the table.
“The Truth” opens up with some big groove filled riffs and a great mix of traditional drums and traditional Djembe laying down a complex rhythm which hooks you straight away. The dual vocal styles with their catchy chanting elements and harmonies add that extra hook and you can feel the big low end thanks to the rumbling bass and extended range guitars. I haven’t quite worked out if Rock, the leader figure in the band is playing a 7 string or an 8 string, but you can tell that there are plenty of lower register notes being thrown out. The cascades of double bass, percussive accenting and sustained big chords under chant vocals sounds huge, and the pinch harmonic groove riffs add in the influence of the wider metal sound. In all, ‘The Truth’ is a huge opening track and you can start to see why the press release said fans of the Roots-era Sepultura sound would enjoy this. The primal and tribal feel is strong and it hooks you right in.
“Not Getting In Line” has a more frantic pace to it. With its urgent-feel intro, it hits like a sucker-punch to the gut and leaves you little time or space to catch your breath. Venomously snarled vocals are delivered with authority and the rhythmic onslaught does not let up. Even when dialled back to a lone guitar riff teasing a massive breakdown before a colossal drum fill transitions to a rap-vocal breakdown, it doesn’t let up until the ‘chorus’ section when the pace finally slows down, the guitars create some space and the chorus is bellowed out before it shifts back to the frantic hammering. “Walk With Us” has a pseudo-Nu Metal vibe. The heavy effects laden intro riff into a tight, rapid chug sequence with tight fills shifts to a more up-tempo and brighter sounding delivery. The chugs remain heavy but the vocal chant sections add some melody and the intricate weaving of the traditional percussion elements in the sound just add that extra dimension to the delivery of the track.
“Angry God Of Earth” brings even more of the Ewe tribal influences to the sound of the band. In the midst of the fast-paced groove metal assault, you can hear the intricate percussive motifs in the chorus feel sections which transition into Ewe and its rhythmic hook snares you. The vocals flow with a nice melody and the primal chanting behind them with the slower riffs due to more spacing between each chord and the time signature means there are some great dynamics to the track. “Mamade” is one of the highlights of the album. Marking the halfway point, it brings a notable shift in style and approach. With a more traditional and tribal flair, it opens up with hypnotic percussion elements, a bright sounding clean guitar and softer vocals with plenty of melody to the delivery. As the track progresses, the vocal harmonies start to come in, adding extra layers of depth and melody to the track, helping give it an electrifying atmosphere before the huge wall of distorted guitar riffs comes crashing in like a rush of warriors charging into battle. The traditional percussive flair remains consistent, acting as the driving force of the track with its vocal stylings and it is most definitely a track you have to take notice of. The blending of ‘traditional’ metal approaches with the ethnic and tribal flairs is phenomenal.
“Asrafo” brings in the Gankogui (traditional African cowbell) to add to the complex rhythmic delivery. With its noticeable sound, when combined with the Djembe, it adds a sense of franticness to the track. Fast paced riffs with a wild edge and fast flowing rap vocals add an intensity to the track which is exponentially increased with every blast of rolling double bass and you can imagine this would be a track to send a crowd into a frenzy. Even the melodic tribal sections in the middle of the track don’t spare you from the intensity of the rhythmic attack, clean vocal chants are underlined by huge low-end riffs and relentless double kick. It’s a monster of a track and well worth listening to. “Final Tournament” is making the rounds on YouTube as a single and it is a great advertisement for the band. The traditional language delivery has its own melodic hook, acting as a great counterpoint to the harsh groove metal with its complex shifting pulse. The guitar melodies tie in with the vocals when they overlap, and the percussive elements are there to help tie it all together. It might take a few listens to fully appreciate, but it certainly shows how you can blend tribal influences into groove metal and not sound like you are trying to be Sepultura.
“Still Believe” opens with a big bass line, something which is very noticeable as throughout the album, you have been able to hear the bass but it has not felt as prominent as it is in this track. The thick low end sound acts as a solid platform for the guitars to work with and the timings of the percussion, drums and bass make for a great rhythm section. The vocals are a blend of the harsh growls, melodic tribal singing and clean vocal work and it wouldn’t be quite a stretch to say that you could liken the approach here to Nu-Metal veterans Ill Niño with how they blended Latin elements with groove-orientated Nu-Metal. It’s got a few hooks but compared to the previous tracks, its not as strong. “Home” is the penultimate track and once again, the bass is a lot more prominent. With the percussive elements adding in a rhythmic hook, the catchy 6/8 feel pulls you in and the added flair the guitar and vocals bring works well. Big melodic arrangements of guitar riffs and fills link up with clean traditional vocal singing and crashing walls of rapid-fire chugs and double bass add in natural transition spots for the different approaches to gel together. The song does take a few listens before you can start to appreciate it, but once it clicks, it is arguably one of the highlights of the album, along with ‘Mamade’ and ‘Asrafo’.
“The Calling” is the closing track of the album. Clocking in at near 7 minutes, it opens up with a clean guitar arrangement. With a rich tone, fingerpicked chords and a clean melody create a rather tranquil feel. As the rest of the instruments join and the vocals kick in, it starts off like a radio-rock ballad. The emotional delivery of the lyrics combined with the steadier rhythmic pulse which lacks the frenzy of the earlier tracks shifts into a heavier approach for the chorus. Distorted chords are sustained as they slam in as the sound opens up more, giving it a bigger feel before it eases back into the cleaner arrangement. I will admit, whilst it does come across as a bit clichéd in its delivery, I found myself looping this track on repeat a few times during listens to the album as I could appreciate the composition of it. The way it opens up in the choruses, how the shifts from clean to distorted just flow and don’t sound forced or out of place and how the clean melodies are simplistic but highly effective. Round the 4:40 point, we shift into a superb instrumental section. A ripping guitar solo loaded with plenty of melodic hooks screams out as the music underneath remains steady, allowing the guitarist Rock to unleash a belter of a solo, showing some great melodic work and some sublime shredding before it kicks back in to the chorus again round 5:40 to bring the track home before it shifts, allowing it to finish on the melodic clean arrangement one last time.
“Dzikkuh” is a great album. It is a solid blend of Groove metal with great blending of traditional and ethnic approaches, allowing the wider audience to gain an insight and appreciation of the West African approach to music outside of Afropop. It has some elements which you can pick at – some jarring atonal shifts and some questionable timings in the more groove metal orientated tracks and sometimes it feels crowded due to the many moving parts of the band, but like any fusion of totally separate and distinct approaches, it can be a little overwhelming unless you open your mind and allow yourself time to listen and to try and understand what you are hearing. I enjoyed ‘Dzikkuh’, finding that the album had moments which were more groove metal orientated and parts which were a lot more traditional, the latter stages of the album being a fine example of how the cultural heritage of Arka’n Asrafokor has shaped their approach to creating music. If you feel like you want a change, a breath of fresh air or something new and unique to listen to, I urge you to give Arka’n Asrafokor a chance.
(7.5/10 Fraggle)
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