#scarab — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #scarab, aggregated by home.social.
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Beneteau verkauft drei seiner US-Bootsmarken und stellt die Bootsproduktion in Michigan ein. Wie geht es für Glastron und Four Winns weiter?
#Beneteau #Cadillac #FourWinns #Glastron #GroupeBeneteau #Scarab -
Beneteau verkauft drei seiner US-Bootsmarken und stellt die Bootsproduktion in Michigan ein. Wie geht es für Glastron und Four Winns weiter?
#Beneteau #Cadillac #FourWinns #Glastron #GroupeBeneteau #Scarab -
Beneteau verkauft drei seiner US-Bootsmarken und stellt die Bootsproduktion in Michigan ein. Wie geht es für Glastron und Four Winns weiter?
#Beneteau #Cadillac #FourWinns #Glastron #GroupeBeneteau #Scarab -
I received these tiny 5x5cm sketchbooks today. Sadly only available on Amazon. :(
Fairly thick paper and it works well with gouache. Even with a fairly wet underpainting.
#tinypainting #gouache #sketch #sketchbook #art #artist #scarab
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I received these tiny 5x5cm sketchbooks today. Sadly only available on Amazon. :(
Fairly thick paper and it works well with gouache. Even with a fairly wet underpainting.
#tinypainting #gouache #sketch #sketchbook #art #artist #scarab
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I received these tiny 5x5cm sketchbooks today. Sadly only available on Amazon. :(
Fairly thick paper and it works well with gouache. Even with a fairly wet underpainting.
#tinypainting #gouache #sketch #sketchbook #art #artist #scarab
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I received these tiny 5x5cm sketchbooks today. Sadly only available on Amazon. :(
Fairly thick paper and it works well with gouache. Even with a fairly wet underpainting.
#tinypainting #gouache #sketch #sketchbook #art #artist #scarab
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I received these tiny 5x5cm sketchbooks today. Sadly only available on Amazon. :(
Fairly thick paper and it works well with gouache. Even with a fairly wet underpainting.
#tinypainting #gouache #sketch #sketchbook #art #artist #scarab
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#GregoryAlanWilliams #DavidHasselhoff #GregBarnett
Season 2 Episode 8 "Thin Or Die"
#RandomBaywatch #lvdlpx #Baywatch #Scarab #Harbor #Marina #ThinOrDie
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🔥 OUT NOW ON VINYL & DIGIPAK + BOOKLET🔥
From the sands of Egypt rises sonic devastation — Scarab unleashes "Transmutation of Fate" in its full analog glory.
⚔ Available now on VINYL & Digipak
📖 Includes exclusive 6-page booklet
🌍 Shipping to 90 countries worldwide#Scarab #DeathMetal #VinylCollection #BrutalRecords #ExtremeMetal #MetalVinyl #Egypt #Metal
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Scarab 🇪🇬 Unleashes New EP Transmutation of Fate
Egypt's Death Metal Legends Enter a Devastating New Era With Brutal Records
#Scarab #TransmutationOfFate #ExtremeMetal #DeathMetal #BrutalRecords #EgyptMetal #Metal
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Egypt’s SCARAB Ignite the World with Transmutation of Fate
Egypt’s Scarab ignite the global metal scene with Transmutation of Fate — a crushing release forged in ancient fire and modern brutality. A powerful new chapter in extreme metal emerges.
#Scarab #TransmutationOfFate #ExtremeMetal #DeathMetal #MetalBand #MetalMusic #NewRelease #MetalScene #HeavyMetal #BrutalMusic #UndergroundMetal #MetalWorld #ExtremeMusic #NowPlaying #BrutalRecords
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From the banks of the Nile to the Spanish plateau: The 2,600-year journey of the Psamtek scarab
A miniature masterpiece of Egyptian craftsmanship, no larger than a fingernail, has emerged from the red earth of…
#Spain #ES #Europe #Europa #EU #2600year #banks #from #journey #nile #plateau #psamtek #scarab #spanish #the
https://www.europesays.com/spain/14564/ -
🔥 Mark Your Calendars – April 24, 2026
“Vow of the Sphinx (Abo El-Houl)” drops worldwide as the first gateway into the upcoming EP Transmutation of Fate.👉 Pre-save now: https://orcd.co/brut89678
⚔️ EP Release: Transmutation of Fate – May 8, 2026
👉 https://orcd.co/brut89677#DeathMetal #BrutalRecords #Scarab #TransmutationOfFate #NewMusic2026 #MetalCommunity #Scarab #BrutalRecords
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ANCIENT EGYPTIAR #AMETHYST NECKLACE
Thin amethyst necklace, purchased in Egypt in 1895, a thought to date ta Egypt's #MiddlaKingdom, citue 2,000 C. Henwever, the inscription on the central stone is a South #scarab Arabian script dating to around the 8th century BC. The stime may be
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SCARAB unleashes a ritual death metal onslaught with Transmutation of Fate, igniting a new era of 🇪🇬Egyptian extreme metal🤘
https://brutalrecords.com/release/scarab-transmutation-of-fate/
#SCARAB #BrutalRecords #DeathMetal #EgyptianMetal #ExtremeMetal #MetalUnderground #DeathMetalBand
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From the ancient sands of Egypt, SCARAB forges ritualistic death metal infused with spiritual intensity and absolute aggression. Since 2006, the band has carved a historic path as the first Egyptian extreme metal band to perform internationally, devastating stages worldwide.
The ritual is sealed. The assault begins.
#SCARAB #BrutalRecords #DeathMetal #EgyptianMetal #ExtremeMetal #MetalUnderground #MetalAnnouncement #DeathMetalBand #NewSigning #MetalLabel #GlobalMetal #RitualDeathMetal
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When is art "finished"? For me, the answer seems to be never. I love reincarnating older works into something new. A fresh presentation of my Colorful Beetle!
ART
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/colorful-beetle-on-white-sharon-cummings.html#beetle #beetles #art #artwork #bug #bugs #insect #insects #entomology #nature #colorful #artist #artists #collage #painting #paintings #fun #homedecor #symbol #symbolism #symbolic #scarab #egypt #egyptian #hieroglyphics #sacred #spiritanimal #spirit #spirituality #spiritual #SharonCummingsArt #luck
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When is art "finished"? For me, the answer seems to be never. I love reincarnating older works into something new. A fresh presentation of my Colorful Beetle!
ART
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/colorful-beetle-on-white-sharon-cummings.html#beetle #beetles #art #artwork #bug #bugs #insect #insects #entomology #nature #colorful #artist #artists #collage #painting #paintings #fun #homedecor #symbol #symbolism #symbolic #scarab #egypt #egyptian #hieroglyphics #sacred #spiritanimal #spirit #spirituality #spiritual #SharonCummingsArt #luck
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Invoke the dung beetle's powers of healing and celebrate life's cycles with a Basalt Carved Scarab. The scarab was sacred for the relationship it represents between life and death. These carvings are small enough to carry in your pocket or bra.
https://www.inkedgoddesscreations.com/products/basalt-carved-scarab
#Scarab #Healing #Resurrection #Basalt #Egypt #DungBeetle #Crystal #Mineral #Gemstone #Magick -
Invoke the dung beetle's powers of healing and celebrate life's cycles with a Basalt Carved Scarab. The scarab was sacred for the relationship it represents between life and death. These carvings are small enough to carry in your pocket or bra.
https://www.inkedgoddesscreations.com/products/basalt-carved-scarab
#Scarab #Healing #Resurrection #Basalt #Egypt #DungBeetle #Crystal #Mineral #Gemstone #Magick -
Last evening in #Berlin, I found a #beetle on my bicycle, a #scarab, which I thought is #nonnative. Rightly so, as #Mimela #junii is a #neozoan in Central Europe, native mainly to southern France/north Italy,. Adults feed on leaves, larvae on roots/decaying material in sandy soil. Thomaes, A. et al. (2022) demonstrate, using Belgium, that it's spread to Central/WesternEurope was likely due to #humantransport. #globalwarming.
© #StefanFWirth 2025Ref
https://pureportal.inbo.be/files/81797098/Bull_158_T1_2022_THOMAES_SCHEERS_VAN_KEER.pdfPhotos
© S. F. Wirth -
Last evening in #Berlin, I found a #beetle on my bicycle, a #scarab, which I thought is #nonnative. Rightly so, as #Mimela #junii is a #neozoan in Central Europe, native mainly to southern France/north Italy,. Adults feed on leaves, larvae on roots/decaying material in sandy soil. Thomaes, A. et al. (2022) demonstrate, using Belgium, that it's spread to Central/WesternEurope was likely due to #humantransport. #globalwarming.
© #StefanFWirth 2025Ref
https://pureportal.inbo.be/files/81797098/Bull_158_T1_2022_THOMAES_SCHEERS_VAN_KEER.pdfPhotos
© S. F. Wirth -
Last evening in #Berlin, I found a #beetle on my bicycle, a #scarab, which I thought is #nonnative. Rightly so, as #Mimela #junii is a #neozoan in Central Europe, native mainly to southern France/north Italy,. Adults feed on leaves, larvae on roots/decaying material in sandy soil. Thomaes, A. et al. (2022) demonstrate, using Belgium, that it's spread to Central/WesternEurope was likely due to #humantransport. #globalwarming.
© #StefanFWirth 2025Ref
https://pureportal.inbo.be/files/81797098/Bull_158_T1_2022_THOMAES_SCHEERS_VAN_KEER.pdfPhotos
© S. F. Wirth -
Last evening in #Berlin, I found a #beetle on my bicycle, a #scarab, which I thought is #nonnative. Rightly so, as #Mimela #junii is a #neozoan in Central Europe, native mainly to southern France/north Italy,. Adults feed on leaves, larvae on roots/decaying material in sandy soil. Thomaes, A. et al. (2022) demonstrate, using Belgium, that it's spread to Central/WesternEurope was likely due to #humantransport. #globalwarming.
© #StefanFWirth 2025Ref
https://pureportal.inbo.be/files/81797098/Bull_158_T1_2022_THOMAES_SCHEERS_VAN_KEER.pdfPhotos
© S. F. Wirth -
Last evening in #Berlin, I found a #beetle on my bicycle, a #scarab, which I thought is #nonnative. Rightly so, as #Mimela #junii is a #neozoan in Central Europe, native mainly to southern France/north Italy,. Adults feed on leaves, larvae on roots/decaying material in sandy soil. Thomaes, A. et al. (2022) demonstrate, using Belgium, that it's spread to Central/WesternEurope was likely due to #humantransport. #globalwarming.
© #StefanFWirth 2025Ref
https://pureportal.inbo.be/files/81797098/Bull_158_T1_2022_THOMAES_SCHEERS_VAN_KEER.pdfPhotos
© S. F. Wirth -
The only other visitor of note clinging to the side of the moth box was the MALE COCKCHAFER .... no, not a genital stimulant for perverts, but a member of the scarab beetle family and often considered a bit of a pest. This is male because he has seven fingers on his antennae.
#insect #cockchafer #maybug #beetle #scarab #entomology #animal #cute #alttext
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The only other visitor of note clinging to the side of the moth box was the MALE COCKCHAFER .... no, not a genital stimulant for perverts, but a member of the scarab beetle family and often considered a bit of a pest. This is male because he has seven fingers on his antennae.
#insect #cockchafer #maybug #beetle #scarab #entomology #animal #cute #alttext
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#12YearOld Discovers #Ancient #Egyptian #Amulet In #Israel
https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/5622/12-Year-Old-Discovers-Ancient-Egyptian-Amulet-In-Israel
On a routine outing near the #NahalKana #antiquities site in #HodHasharon, 12-year-old Dafna Filsteiner stumbled upon an extraordinary piece of #history—a 3,500-year-old Egyptian #scarab amulet.
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#12YearOld Discovers #Ancient #Egyptian #Amulet In #Israel
https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/5622/12-Year-Old-Discovers-Ancient-Egyptian-Amulet-In-Israel
On a routine outing near the #NahalKana #antiquities site in #HodHasharon, 12-year-old Dafna Filsteiner stumbled upon an extraordinary piece of #history—a 3,500-year-old Egyptian #scarab amulet.
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#Crawltober #colour
A very cute (in my opinion) rainbow #scarab
#watercolor #kuretake -
Scenes from Oroville, CA
Found dead on the ground at the Oroville Dam Visitor Center.
Ten-lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata)
#photography #naturephotography #nature #beetle #insect #Coleoptera #scarab #entomology #Oroville #California #GooglePixel -
Scenes from Oroville, CA
Found dead on the ground at the Oroville Dam Visitor Center.
Ten-lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata)
#photography #naturephotography #nature #beetle #insect #Coleoptera #scarab #entomology #Oroville #California #GooglePixel -
Scenes from Oroville, CA
Found dead on the ground at the Oroville Dam Visitor Center.
Ten-lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata)
#photography #naturephotography #nature #beetle #insect #Coleoptera #scarab #entomology #Oroville #California #GooglePixel -
Scenes from Oroville, CA
Found dead on the ground at the Oroville Dam Visitor Center.
Ten-lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata)
#photography #naturephotography #nature #beetle #insect #Coleoptera #scarab #entomology #Oroville #California #GooglePixel -
Scenes from Oroville, CA
Found dead on the ground at the Oroville Dam Visitor Center.
Ten-lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata)
#photography #naturephotography #nature #beetle #insect #Coleoptera #scarab #entomology #Oroville #California #GooglePixel -
Japanese beetle (𝘗𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘫𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢) nestled in a red clover (𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦), from yesterday's hike:
#beetles #Scarabaeidae #scarab #insects #JapaneseBeetle #clover #BloomScrolling #BloomScrollingWithInsect
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~ Scarab ~
Carved Scarab gemstone amulets were ubiquitous in ancient Egypt. They were presented as gifts at births and marriages, tucked into the linen wrappings during burial ceremonies, used as official seals, and featured in jewelry.
https://www.inkedgoddesscreations.com
#Scarab #Rebirth #Egypt #Cycles #Life #Death #DungBeetle #Afterlife #Symbol #Magick -
~ Scarab ~
Carved Scarab gemstone amulets were ubiquitous in ancient Egypt. They were presented as gifts at births and marriages, tucked into the linen wrappings during burial ceremonies, used as official seals, and featured in jewelry.
https://www.inkedgoddesscreations.com
#Scarab #Rebirth #Egypt #Cycles #Life #Death #DungBeetle #Afterlife #Symbol #Magick -
Arka’n Asrafokor – Dzikkuh Review
By Dear Hollow
Despite comprising 20% of Earth’s land mass, Africa is sorely underrepresented in metal and worldwide music. Though subject to centuries of oppression and colonization, the influence can be felt internationally, but its unique cultural voices are sorely lacking. While Egypt is stalwart in its evocative depictions of ancient civilization (Scarab, Lycopolis), you’d be hard-pressed to find the music of Togo without some serious digging. Based in the capital city of Lomé, what seems to be the only Togolese metal band, Arka’n Asrafokor offers its sophomore effort Dzikkuh.
Arka’n Asrafokor embodies another interpretation of lesser-known and underrepresented native folk music utilized in hard rock and metal styles, following acts like the Māori Alien Weaponry, Polynesian Shepherds Reign, Hindi Bloodywood, and Mongol The Hu or Tengger Cavalry. You won’t find Jacoby Shaddix showing up as a rock feature in Dzikkuh, but instead a much more punishing breed pervades, chuggy riffs colliding with blistering double bass and vocal intensities throughout. Riffy influences of Alien Weaponry, Sepultura, and Pantera run rampant, layered with percussion, melodies, and motifs from the band’s native Ewe culture. When the quintet embraces the brutal and balances it with more warfaring tendencies,1 Arka’n Asrafokor accomplishes something truly powerful.
The backbone of Dzikkuh, like any good folk metal, is chunky rhythmic guitar, and guitarist Rock Ahavi is in no short supply of groovy riffs. Utilizing a seven-string, expect wonky rhythms, thick slogs, nimble noodling, and pinch harmonics galore chucked at the listener with reckless and energetic abandon, while the rumble down under from bassist Francis Amevo and blistering double bass and rabid beats from drummer Richard Siko add to the intensity. Vocalist Enrico Ahavi offers raspy barks and sporadic raps that add a jolt of intensity, while percussionist Mass Aholou offers a plethora of native instruments.2 When the act’s heritage in Ewe tribal warrior motifs are used to enhance Arka’n Asrafokor’s groove-metal assault, like layers of percussion and Rock Ahavi’s soaring battle cry-like cleans and grunge-inspired howls, tracks like “The Truth,” “Walk With Us,” “Angry God of Earth,” and “Home” expertly blend punishment and evocative tribal elements in adrenaline-pumping intensity reminiscent of Alien Weaponry. “Mamade” is the clear highlight, with recurring tribal motifs of percussion and melodies adding further weight to the crushing intensity through its bulletproof dynamic songwriting.
When Arka’n Asrafokor’s teeth are gritted with blistering heaviness, Dzikkuh hits like a bomb. When they slow things down, they sound a bit like a toothless Five Finger Death Punch. While Ahavi’s grunge rumble enhances the attack in songs like “Final Tournament” and “Angry God of Earth,” they lose their impact when utilized excessively, making “Still Believe” and closer “The Calling” revel in dad rock-inspired cringeworthy melodrama. Elsewhere, while intensity is generally best, tracks “Not Getting in Line” and “Asrafo” nearly fly off the rails with an almost mathcore wildness in rhythmic complexity, made stranger by unprecedented rapping vocals, although usage adds a certain desperation to “Home.” Tracks “Not Getting in Line” and “Angry God of Earth” feature awkward tonal shifts, like jarring bridges of silence between passages as well as weird shifts between clean choruses and harsh verses. Also, although unmatched in animalistic intensity, Enrico Ahavi’s raspy and smoky barks can be an acquired taste in tracks like “Home” and “The Truth.”
Being the only metal act in Togo, Arka’n Asrafokor had to record their albums in a tiny makeshift studio outside of Lomé, and the solidness of Dzikkuh pays off mightily as a labor of love. While it ends on a bit of a sour note with “The Calling” and there are some wayward hiccups throughout, this does not discredit cuts like “Walk With Us” and “Mamade” from being unique and pummeling tracks that add a new chapter to the growing body of ethnic voices in today’s metal. Technical without being too flashy to focus on the act’s native elements, each member contributes heartily to an act of passion and power. Reflecting roots in tribal warrior customs, Dzikkuh is a formidable album from an act with only more to offer going forward – a bold representative of a continent too often neglected in metal circles.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Reigning Phoenix Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 24th, 2024#2024 #35 #AlienWeaponry #ArkaNAsrafokor #Bloodywood #Dzikkuh #FiveFingerDeathPunch #FolkMetal #GrooveMetal #HeavyMetal #Lycopolis #May24 #Pantera #ReigningPhoenixRecords #Review #Reviews #Scarab #Sepultura #ShepherdsReign #TenggerCavalry #TheHu #ThrashMetal #TogoleseMetal
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Arka’n Asrafokor – Dzikkuh Review
By Dear Hollow
Despite comprising 20% of Earth’s land mass, Africa is sorely underrepresented in metal and worldwide music. Though subject to centuries of oppression and colonization, the influence can be felt internationally, but its unique cultural voices are sorely lacking. While Egypt is stalwart in its evocative depictions of ancient civilization (Scarab, Lycopolis), you’d be hard-pressed to find the music of Togo without some serious digging. Based in the capital city of Lomé, what seems to be the only Togolese metal band, Arka’n Asrafokor offers its sophomore effort Dzikkuh.
Arka’n Asrafokor embodies another interpretation of lesser-known and underrepresented native folk music utilized in hard rock and metal styles, following acts like the Māori Alien Weaponry, Polynesian Shepherds Reign, Hindi Bloodywood, and Mongol The Hu or Tengger Cavalry. You won’t find Jacoby Shaddix showing up as a rock feature in Dzikkuh, but instead a much more punishing breed pervades, chuggy riffs colliding with blistering double bass and vocal intensities throughout. Riffy influences of Alien Weaponry, Sepultura, and Pantera run rampant, layered with percussion, melodies, and motifs from the band’s native Ewe culture. When the quintet embraces the brutal and balances it with more warfaring tendencies,1 Arka’n Asrafokor accomplishes something truly powerful.
The backbone of Dzikkuh, like any good folk metal, is chunky rhythmic guitar, and guitarist Rock Ahavi is in no short supply of groovy riffs. Utilizing a seven-string, expect wonky rhythms, thick slogs, nimble noodling, and pinch harmonics galore chucked at the listener with reckless and energetic abandon, while the rumble down under from bassist Francis Amevo and blistering double bass and rabid beats from drummer Richard Siko add to the intensity. Vocalist Enrico Ahavi offers raspy barks and sporadic raps that add a jolt of intensity, while percussionist Mass Aholou offers a plethora of native instruments.2 When the act’s heritage in Ewe tribal warrior motifs are used to enhance Arka’n Asrafokor’s groove-metal assault, like layers of percussion and Rock Ahavi’s soaring battle cry-like cleans and grunge-inspired howls, tracks like “The Truth,” “Walk With Us,” “Angry God of Earth,” and “Home” expertly blend punishment and evocative tribal elements in adrenaline-pumping intensity reminiscent of Alien Weaponry. “Mamade” is the clear highlight, with recurring tribal motifs of percussion and melodies adding further weight to the crushing intensity through its bulletproof dynamic songwriting.
When Arka’n Asrafokor’s teeth are gritted with blistering heaviness, Dzikkuh hits like a bomb. When they slow things down, they sound a bit like a toothless Five Finger Death Punch. While Ahavi’s grunge rumble enhances the attack in songs like “Final Tournament” and “Angry God of Earth,” they lose their impact when utilized excessively, making “Still Believe” and closer “The Calling” revel in dad rock-inspired cringeworthy melodrama. Elsewhere, while intensity is generally best, tracks “Not Getting in Line” and “Asrafo” nearly fly off the rails with an almost mathcore wildness in rhythmic complexity, made stranger by unprecedented rapping vocals, although usage adds a certain desperation to “Home.” Tracks “Not Getting in Line” and “Angry God of Earth” feature awkward tonal shifts, like jarring bridges of silence between passages as well as weird shifts between clean choruses and harsh verses. Also, although unmatched in animalistic intensity, Enrico Ahavi’s raspy and smoky barks can be an acquired taste in tracks like “Home” and “The Truth.”
Being the only metal act in Togo, Arka’n Asrafokor had to record their albums in a tiny makeshift studio outside of Lomé, and the solidness of Dzikkuh pays off mightily as a labor of love. While it ends on a bit of a sour note with “The Calling” and there are some wayward hiccups throughout, this does not discredit cuts like “Walk With Us” and “Mamade” from being unique and pummeling tracks that add a new chapter to the growing body of ethnic voices in today’s metal. Technical without being too flashy to focus on the act’s native elements, each member contributes heartily to an act of passion and power. Reflecting roots in tribal warrior customs, Dzikkuh is a formidable album from an act with only more to offer going forward – a bold representative of a continent too often neglected in metal circles.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Reigning Phoenix Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 24th, 2024#2024 #35 #AlienWeaponry #ArkaNAsrafokor #Bloodywood #Dzikkuh #FiveFingerDeathPunch #FolkMetal #GrooveMetal #HeavyMetal #Lycopolis #May24 #Pantera #ReigningPhoenixRecords #Review #Reviews #Scarab #Sepultura #ShepherdsReign #TenggerCavalry #TheHu #ThrashMetal #TogoleseMetal
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Arka’n Asrafokor – Dzikkuh Review
By Dear Hollow
Despite comprising 20% of Earth’s land mass, Africa is sorely underrepresented in metal and worldwide music. Though subject to centuries of oppression and colonization, the influence can be felt internationally, but its unique cultural voices are sorely lacking. While Egypt is stalwart in its evocative depictions of ancient civilization (Scarab, Lycopolis), you’d be hard-pressed to find the music of Togo without some serious digging. Based in the capital city of Lomé, what seems to be the only Togolese metal band, Arka’n Asrafokor offers its sophomore effort Dzikkuh.
Arka’n Asrafokor embodies another interpretation of lesser-known and underrepresented native folk music utilized in hard rock and metal styles, following acts like the Māori Alien Weaponry, Polynesian Shepherds Reign, Hindi Bloodywood, and Mongol The Hu or Tengger Cavalry. You won’t find Jacoby Shaddix showing up as a rock feature in Dzikkuh, but instead a much more punishing breed pervades, chuggy riffs colliding with blistering double bass and vocal intensities throughout. Riffy influences of Alien Weaponry, Sepultura, and Pantera run rampant, layered with percussion, melodies, and motifs from the band’s native Ewe culture. When the quintet embraces the brutal and balances it with more warfaring tendencies,1 Arka’n Asrafokor accomplishes something truly powerful.
The backbone of Dzikkuh, like any good folk metal, is chunky rhythmic guitar, and guitarist Rock Ahavi is in no short supply of groovy riffs. Utilizing a seven-string, expect wonky rhythms, thick slogs, nimble noodling, and pinch harmonics galore chucked at the listener with reckless and energetic abandon, while the rumble down under from bassist Francis Amevo and blistering double bass and rabid beats from drummer Richard Siko add to the intensity. Vocalist Enrico Ahavi offers raspy barks and sporadic raps that add a jolt of intensity, while percussionist Mass Aholou offers a plethora of native instruments.2 When the act’s heritage in Ewe tribal warrior motifs are used to enhance Arka’n Asrafokor’s groove-metal assault, like layers of percussion and Rock Ahavi’s soaring battle cry-like cleans and grunge-inspired howls, tracks like “The Truth,” “Walk With Us,” “Angry God of Earth,” and “Home” expertly blend punishment and evocative tribal elements in adrenaline-pumping intensity reminiscent of Alien Weaponry. “Mamade” is the clear highlight, with recurring tribal motifs of percussion and melodies adding further weight to the crushing intensity through its bulletproof dynamic songwriting.
When Arka’n Asrafokor’s teeth are gritted with blistering heaviness, Dzikkuh hits like a bomb. When they slow things down, they sound a bit like a toothless Five Finger Death Punch. While Ahavi’s grunge rumble enhances the attack in songs like “Final Tournament” and “Angry God of Earth,” they lose their impact when utilized excessively, making “Still Believe” and closer “The Calling” revel in dad rock-inspired cringeworthy melodrama. Elsewhere, while intensity is generally best, tracks “Not Getting in Line” and “Asrafo” nearly fly off the rails with an almost mathcore wildness in rhythmic complexity, made stranger by unprecedented rapping vocals, although usage adds a certain desperation to “Home.” Tracks “Not Getting in Line” and “Angry God of Earth” feature awkward tonal shifts, like jarring bridges of silence between passages as well as weird shifts between clean choruses and harsh verses. Also, although unmatched in animalistic intensity, Enrico Ahavi’s raspy and smoky barks can be an acquired taste in tracks like “Home” and “The Truth.”
Being the only metal act in Togo, Arka’n Asrafokor had to record their albums in a tiny makeshift studio outside of Lomé, and the solidness of Dzikkuh pays off mightily as a labor of love. While it ends on a bit of a sour note with “The Calling” and there are some wayward hiccups throughout, this does not discredit cuts like “Walk With Us” and “Mamade” from being unique and pummeling tracks that add a new chapter to the growing body of ethnic voices in today’s metal. Technical without being too flashy to focus on the act’s native elements, each member contributes heartily to an act of passion and power. Reflecting roots in tribal warrior customs, Dzikkuh is a formidable album from an act with only more to offer going forward – a bold representative of a continent too often neglected in metal circles.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Reigning Phoenix Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 24th, 2024#2024 #35 #AlienWeaponry #ArkaNAsrafokor #Bloodywood #Dzikkuh #FiveFingerDeathPunch #FolkMetal #GrooveMetal #HeavyMetal #Lycopolis #May24 #Pantera #ReigningPhoenixRecords #Review #Reviews #Scarab #Sepultura #ShepherdsReign #TenggerCavalry #TheHu #ThrashMetal #TogoleseMetal
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Integrity (2nd NYC show ever!), Orange 9mm (reunion!), Into Another, Earth Crisis, Deadguy set for tattoo con
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/integrity-2nd-nyc-show-ever-orange-9mm-reunion-into-another-earth-crisis-deadguy-set-for-tattoo-con/#brooklynvegan_category_music #Heavy_Metal #Music #tour_dates #Alexander_Barton #All_4_All #Calling_Hours #deadguy #Earth_Crisis #Integrity #Into_Another #NYC_Tattoo_Arts_Convention #Orange_9mm #punk #Raw_Brigade #SCARAB #SPACE
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Fugitive announce NYC shows with High Command, Scarab, and more
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/fugitive-announce-nyc-shows-with-high-command-scarab-and-more/#brooklynvegan_category_music #Heavy_Metal #Music #tour_dates #Dead_Last #Fugitive #high_command #punk #Savage_Pleasure #SCARAB
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Fugitive announce NYC shows with High Command, Scarab, and more
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/fugitive-announce-nyc-shows-with-high-command-scarab-and-more/#brooklynvegan_category_music #Heavy_Metal #Music #tour_dates #Dead_Last #Fugitive #high_command #punk #Savage_Pleasure #SCARAB
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Fugitive announce NYC shows with High Command, Scarab, and more
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/fugitive-announce-nyc-shows-with-high-command-scarab-and-more/#brooklynvegan_category_music #Heavy_Metal #Music #tour_dates #Dead_Last #Fugitive #high_command #punk #Savage_Pleasure #SCARAB
