Hailing from West Africa’s Togo, Arka’n Asrafokor are becoming figureheads for a diverse African metal scene. In the four years since they released their promising debut album, Zã Keli, the band changed their name from Arka’n (Asrafokor means ‘music of warriors’) and beefed up their sound.
Whereas Zã Keli contained frequent detours into traditional folk and soulful Afro-funk, Dzikkuh is a more ambitious blend of groove metal, death metal and nu metal elements, with frenzied Afrobeat polyrhythms from percussionist Mass Aholou, and hypnotic chants.
Opening with slashed guitars and skittering drums, The Truth is one of the most exhilarating tracks released so far this year. While Arka’n Asrafokor switch seamlessly between French, English and the Togolese language, Ewe, their choruses tend to be sung in the latter. As such, their music is imbued with emotional and spiritual meaning – a call to arms entwined with the land.
Those continuously shifting dynamics ensure Dzikkuh is a compelling experience: in a hailstorm of military-grade drums, Not Getting In Line channels Sepultura, and Mamade starts out like a deceptively grungy, African take on Alice In Chains’ Jar Of Flies, before a hypnotic chant gives way to a six-foot-deep groove and a blistering solo.
The band have talked about their symbiotic connection with nature; Walk With Us and Angry God Of Earth vent their frustrations at mankind’s persistent destruction of the environment. Meanwhile, Asrafo (‘Warrior’) tackles the simmering anger that still resides in Africa following violent colonial abuse. Over the sound of knives being sharpened, clean vocalist and guitarist Rock Ahavi invokes a bloodied landscape: ‘Now we know the names of the real enemies. They pretend to rule the world… leading it to destruction and desolation.’
Dzikkuh is a record that will remain in your thoughts long after it stops spinning.
Dzikkuh is out July 19 via Reigning Phoenix.
