Alkonost (Russia)

Alkonost is a Russian pagan folk doom metal band formed in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russia in 1995. Starting small and gradually building a local Russian fanbase, they are now known to rock fans throughout Eastern and Northern Europe.
The band is best known amongst heavy metal fans in their native country of the Russian Federation. However, their music has been discussed and shared on the internet, particularly on Usenet, and they have found new audiences in Nordic Europe and the United Kingdom. Signed to Metalism Records, their albums are available with English titles, although the songs themselves are predominantly sung in Russian. In 2007, for the first time, the band was able to perform outside of Russia, touring Ukraine,Belarus, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.^[1], where they were warmly received
The band's material is based on Russian paganism and mythology, and the melodies are drawn from indigenous Russian folk music, but the arrangements and riffs are drawn from power metal, death metal and symphonic metal, consisting of simplistic power chords under intricate "shredding" lead guitar (characteristic of power metal), male guttural rasping vocals (found in death metal) and soaring female operatic vocals (as found in symphonic metal). This has led them to be categorised in all these genres, as well as doom metal and folk metal.

The band was the brainchild of bass guitarist Elk who was interested in the idea of fusing Russian folk music with Heavy metal. After recording some experimental demos he decided to switch to lead guitar and recruited Alex Solovyov (nicknamed 'Nightbird') as new bassist. By 1997 the band was touring the local rock circuit and had cut their first promotional demo, titled "Shadows Of Timeless" with a further demo entitled "Shadows Of Glory" following shortly after. In 1998 drummer Vladimir Lousshin was recruited and first proper studio album "Songs Of The Eternal Oak" was recorded. To "fill out" the sound, Almira was recruited on keyboards the following year.

In 2000, "Songs Of The Eternal Oak" was released on the Latvian label Beverina. A promotional video was shot and at the end of the year female soprano vocalist Alyona was added to the band. This lineup recorded new demo "Spirit Tending To Revolt" that December. In 2001 Vladimir Lousshin was replaced by Anton on drums. A further demo, exclusively in Russian titled "Nevedomye Zemli" (translation: Unknown Lands) and promo video, followed.

The band's "big break" came with a record deal with the Northern European label Metalism Records and eponymous second album "Alkonost" was released in July 2002. Albums "Between The Worlds" and "The Path We Never Trod" followed at two-yearly intervals.

Studio albums

• 2000 - Songs of the Eternal Oak
• 2004 - Between the Worlds
• 2005 - Mezhmir'je
• 2006 - Put' Neprojdennyj
• 2007 - Heart Stone's Blood
• 2010 - On The Wings Of The Call

• Demos

  • 1997 - Shadows of Glory
  • 1997 - Shadows of Timeless
  • 2000 - Spirit Tending to Revolt
  • 2001 - Nevedomyje Zemli

  • Compilations

    • 2001 - Memoris (Compiles the Shadows of Glory, Shadows of Timeless, and Spirit Tending to Revolt demos)
    • 2002 - Alkonost (Compiles the Songs of the Eternal Oak album with the Spirit Tending to Revolt demo)
    • 2004 - Rodnaya Zeml'a (Compiles the Between the Worlds album with two live tracks)
    • 2007 - Pesni Vechnogo Dreva (Re-recording of the Alkonost compilation in the Russian language)
    • Official website
    •                      

      Current line-up

      Alena Pelevina - Female vocals (2000-) Andrey "Elk" Losev - Guitar (1995-) (Canonis) Dmitriy Sokolov - Guitar (2003-) Alexey "Alex Nightbird" Solovyov - Bass, backing vocals (lead vocals on first albums) (1995-) Anton Chepigin - Drums (Eldenhor, Izuver (Rus), Cerberus (Rus), Flaming Hate) Almira Fathullina - Keyboard (1999-)

Former/past member(s)

Vladimir "VL" Lushin - Drums (1998-2000) Sergey "Kooker" Medvedev - Guitar (1995-1997) Raji - Session vocals (on early recordings and live shows in 1997) (Cerberus (Rus))

Alkonost (RUS) - Pesni Vechnogo Dreva 2007

1. Годы предсказаний 05:59 
2. Солнце нашей земли 04:41 
3. Бей, молот! 07:19 
4. В сердце легенды… 07:24 
5. К родимой стороне 04:29 
6. Пир отцов 09:41 
7. Радуги край 01:50 
8. День последний мой 05:11
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?18u7a4zd6ekyw7b

Alkonost (RUS) - Stone Heart Blood 2007

1. Время Ярости (Time of the Rage) 05:46 
2. Храм Леса (Temple of the Forest) 05:08 
3. Тени Темных Дней (Dark Days Shadows) 06:24 
4. Молодость (Youth) 04:09 
5. Братство стали (Brotherhood of Steel) 04:49 
6. Рассвет (Dawn) 03:24 
7. Узоры Печали (Tracery of Sorrow) 07:12 
8. Каменног Сердца Кровь (Stone Heart Blood) (Outro) 02:27
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?5tary4a6sz7szck

Alkonost (RUS) - Songs Of The Eternal Oak 2000

1. Years of Prophecy 03:45 
2. Sun Shine Our Land 05:17 
3. Song of Smith (Sledge Hammer!) 04:20 
4. War Is Closed by Us 04:47 
5. Holyday of Fathers 03:16 
6. Rain of Former Days 03:55
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?94dz5d1ebawzdma

Alkonost (RUS) - The Path We've Never Made 2006

1. Голос Лесов (The Forest Voice) 06:14 
2. Путь Неприметный (The Indiscernible Path) 06:24 
3. Ночь Перед Битвой (The Night Before the Battle) 08:38 
4. Нивушка-Нива (Nivushka-Niva) 07:43 
5. Темень (Darkness) 08:35 
6. Море-Сон (The Dream Sea) 08:16 
7. Думы мои - Зарницы дальние (Heat-Lightning Thoughts) 09:03
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?tod7vstvg99lavt