Crafted in the style of ethnic Extreme Metal, the newborn spawn by this Ukrainian horde will take you on a journey into the world of ancient gods and mysterious rituals, reflecting the depths of wisdom of ancient civilizations.

Crafted in the style of ethnic Extreme Metal, blending Death, Groove, and Thrash Metal, the breathtaking Secrets of Ancient Gods, the sophomore album by Kyiv, Ukraine’s own Groove/Death Metal beast Arhat, will take you on a journey into the world of ancient gods and mysterious rituals, reflecting the depths of wisdom of ancient civilizations. Mixed and mastered by Dmitry Kim, re-amped by Oleksandr Chernikov, and displaying a badass artwork by Viktor Gudkov, the new album by Alex Sitkoff on vocals, Anton Skrebov on the guitar, Anton Inov on bass, and Ivan Semenchuk on drums offers ten striking songs imbued with the spirit of mystery and magic, embodied in sophisticated melodies and epic arrangements, with the band also utilizing the Turkish ney, sitar, percussion, and cinematic sound design throughout the entire album, blending symphonic orchestrations with ethnic elements.

Get ready to be dragged to the mystical world ruled by Arhat to the sound of the album’s Intro, a mesmerizing, enfolding wall of sounds that will captivate your senses before we face Abyss Of Flame, a full-bodied, whimsical Groove Metal attack by the band showcasing darkly poetic lyrics (“Out of your body, / Your mind is free / You see the things, / As they should be / Power and energy / Of purity / The waves of life, / Vitality”) amidst sheer devastation blasted by Anton Skrebov, Anton Inov and Ivan. Their fusion of Groove and Death Metal with ancient, ritualistic sounds gets even more striking in Karnak, with Ivan dictating the pace while Alex roars nonstop in the name of the ancient gods; and Ivan leads his bandmates in the also embracing and obscure Arcana XVI, offering more of the band’s incendiary hybrid of extreme music styles. Moreover, the bass by Anton Inov sounds absolutely metallic, hitting us hard in the head mercilessly. And after that, the visceral riffage by Anton Skrebov will pierce our minds in Nasha Khoda Nevpynna, which is Ukrainian for “our walk is unceasing”, keeping the adrenaline flowing in the album to the devilish roars by Alex.

Then featuring Oleksii Syrota of Voracity, Symbols is a demonic song where the quartet will crush our souls with their groovy and infuriated sounds, with the deep Brutal Death Metal-style guttural by Oleksii sounding simply amazing; and let’s keep raising our horns and banging our heads while worshiping the ancient gods in Path Eternal, where Ivan sets the pace with his heavy and vile beats and fills. The band puts the pedal to the metal in the faster tune Wheel Of Fate, an excellent choice for some sick circle pit action, with Anton Skrebov extracting strident sounds from his guitar supported by the rumbling bass by Anton Inov, followed by The Great Unknown, featuring Dmytro Moskalenko of Violateress, offering us all another round of their otherworldly words (“You are alone in dungeons / Sharp stones are cutting your skin / Uncanny voices from darkness, / Are filling you with doubts and fear / The Great Unknown!”) boosted by a massive, detailed sonority. Finally, Shlyakh Do Prozrinnya, or “the path to enlightenment”, is an amazing closure to one of the most powerful albums of the year, with Alex once again stealing the show with his demonic roars supported by the crushing drums by Ivan.

Allow yourself to immerse in the captivating world of mythology from past epochs and feel the sounds of antiquity that remain relevant even today in Secrets of Ancient Gods by streaming the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and even better, by purchasing a copy of it from Arhat’s own BandCamp page, and remember you can also keep an eye on all things Arhat by following the band on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Despite all adversities the country is facing, Ukrainian extreme music is blooming and getting stronger than ever, and we must thank Arhat not only for being part of that beautiful scene, but also for offering us in their newborn spawn exactly what we need to unveil the darkest secrets of ancient gods.

Best moments of the album: Abyss Of Flame, Arcana XVI, Symbols and Wheel Of Fate.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Independent

Track listing
1. Intro 1:44
2. Abyss Of Flame 5:36
3. Karnak 4:48
4. Arcana XVI 4:58
5. Nasha Khoda Nevpynna 4:18
6. Symbols 3:31
7. Path Eternal 5:27
8. Wheel Of Fate 5:12
9. The Great Unknown 4:40
10. Shlyakh Do Prozrinnya 3:26

Band members
Alex Sitkoff – vocals
Anton Skrebov – guitar
Anton Inov – bass
Ivan Semenchuk – drums

Guest musicians
Oleksii Syrota – vocals on “Symbols”
Dmytro Moskalenko – vocals on “The Great Unknown”