Rating: 10/10
Release: 25 March 2012
label: SoundAge Productions

Rarog exists for quite a while, although they suffered form quite a lot of member changes. The band was in the past a guest at the CD-release of the, also Russian, band Arkona. So we have at once something to compare them with. Rarog is also influenced by Slavic Folk, but with Rarog, this is much more present in their Music. All in all their Music is not as heavy as Arkona’s, but the folk has a greater part. Just like Arkona they use ‘male’ and female vocals, but in Arkona Masha does both and Rarog has a male and a female singer. Grunts and screams are less prominent and usually the male vocals are used to assist the female vocals.
Immediately with the First track the nice Slavic tunes get to you, and you just want to keep listening, and that’s always a good thing. And doing so, you get surprise after surprise. What a nicely varied album is this. Without losing track of their own style, the band is very capable of writing all kind of songs. The first song reminds you of Arkona with heavy vocals. The third track ‘Heart’ is a very very nice and sensitive song with a very clear typical Slavic voice, very nice one, it surely goes in my ‘greatest hits’ list.
‘Fitht Snow’ on the other hand has a very proud and solid feel and ‘Rogneda’ has again this typical Slavic touch and nice grunts. ‘Ren Perunova’ starts of with male vocals and has a very nice choir.
In short a deliciously varied album. Are you a fan of the Slavic tunes, like me, you want to make sure this one is in your collection, even if you have to go crawling to Russia, you can’t effort to miss this one.

Tracklist

1. The son of Falcon 03:59
2. Prodigy 03:31
3. Heart 04:53
4. Fifth Snow 4:28
5. Fiery Sword 03:31
6. Rogneda 03:53
7. After Victory 03:57
8. Ren Perunova 03:33
9. Prophetic Sokol 2:43
10. Heart of Governors 05:12
11. Blood of Our Enemies (Manowar cover) 04:59