The Jünger Tumilon collective of bands has produced some of the most interesting metal to come out of Switzerland in recent years, both in lyrical concept and songwriting. Whether it’s the dense blackened death metal of Dakhma that explores Zoroastrian traditions or Greek mythology centered Lykhaeon, each of these groups has written their music around ideas that separated them from some of the other metal out there. It’s been interesting to watch many of them expand outwards from much murkier, dense demos into clearer albums that still emphasized power and layered instrumentation. This is also true of Arkhaaik, who return after a six-year gap with sophomore effort Uihtis. Their debut explored elements of hunting and rituals from the Bronze era through sprawling death/doom with some haunting tribal/ambient in the middle, though it did feel like not all of the elements were fully fleshed out yet. Uihtis expands upon this foundation significantly with four lengthy tracks that seamlessly weave the different elements together. It’s an incredible listen from beginning to end, and the way the rhythms and powerful peaks tie into the theme of the primitive hunt make this a unique album.
From the start of “Geutores Suhnos” it’s clear that both the songwriting approach and production has changed significantly compared to Arkhaaik’s last album. This opener is a bit of a slow burn, as it uses more expansive layers and a methodical pace initially before kicking things up into a faster whirlwind of sound. Stylistically there are equal amounts of death/doom, death metal, and some black metal to the tonality, and the way the songs are constructed often remind me of the types of build-ups that The Ruins of Beverast made good use of on Exuvia. There are a lot of natural ebbs and flows on each track that keep you interested from one song to the next, as both fast and slow sections often build to towering peaks that are just as dense as anything else in the genre, but Arkhaaik also utilizes natural pauses that let some more of the tribal and ambient elements steal the spotlight. Uihtis also places a lot of emphasis on rhythm, particularly in its drum work. Around the eight-and-a-half-minute mark of “Geutores Suhnos” the drums take on more of a galloping approach, giving you the imagery of the hunters working to keep pace with their prey and the ensuing chase that occurs. “Hagrah Gurres” reaches some similar atmosphere and sheer power as Bølzer, though Arkhaaik’s additional nuances give them plenty of elements that help them to stand apart. Where a forty-eight-minute album with track lengths averaging ten to twelve minutes would become repetitive in the wrong hands, here the twists and turns keep you engaged all the way through and quite a few of the riffs stand out over repeat listens. Closing track “Kerhos Mehnsos also deserves mention, as it makes great use of the softer elements, making you feel as though you are also in the wilderness alongside the band.
Plenty of metal artists have interesting and varying concepts to their musical and lyrical approach but then use the same vocal style for an entire album that lacks the same diversity as the rest of their music. This is an area where the bands in the Jünger Tumilon have shined, and Arkhaaik has expanded this element of their material significantly on Arkhaaik. The core pitch is a very low and powerful growl that reverberates over the recording with immense power, reminding you this is still death/black metal, but between these moments there are a slew of other approaches. Sometimes you’ll hear howling and chanting that tie back into the primitive hunter concept, while other times spoken word and higher screams are added into the mix. The chants also change in pitch and are sometimes done by one member or by the entire band depending on the song, providing plenty of nuances to discover with each time through.
Arkhaaik’s music has transformed significantly since their debut, as rather than breaking out the tribal/ambient and softer elements into a separate track they’re seamlessly woven into the foundations of each song. Combine that with a clearer yet still powerful production and a bigger emphasis on intense riffs and diverse rhythms and you have material that stands out in the sea of black, death, and doom out there in 2025. It’s exciting to hear a concept like this reach a point that feels fully realized, but with space remaining to explore even more territory down the road. Uihtis is available from Eisenwald.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
