The Polish Metal band, Arshenic, released a quadruple of singles this summer. Bloodsucker, Extraterrestrial, Black goat, and Lucid were released between June and September, with a music video for Extraterrestrial. We have always known Arshenic for putting aside any rule books when it comes to the style of their music, putting together the best parts of Rock and Metal in their own frame. This was the case with their previous album, ‘Final Collision’, and this is the case as well with the new singles. Arshenic’s vocalist, Ofilia, won Best Clean Vocals in FemMetal Awards 2020.
Bloodsucker, the first of the released single, is a melodic song with some attractive riffs that preserve an overall feel of darkness, with a changing pace between a thrilling intro into some catchy verses and chorus and into a bridge that slows things down leading into a second part that continues the song in the same settings, with a slower tempo that was a suitable background for Ofilia to make us hear her clean singing at its best.
Extraterrestial is a song out of this world (pun intended). It begins with vocalisations that bring the song’s concept into life with an “extraterrestrial” feel. The heavy riffs following the intro go hand in hand with Ofilia’s harsh vocals. The band’s great songwriting abilities and music production are very clear on this song, as they move brilliantly between verses and a chorus that if you heard separately you might think they’re from two different songs. However, the two contrasts create together one great song that fully deserved a wonderful music video, probably one of the best music videos in 2021.
Black goat is my personal favourite among the released singles. Slow in the tempo, heavy in the riffs, and ever alternating in the vocals between soft melodic singing in the verses into a growled chorus, always with great lyrics. Around the second half into the third minute, the music gets heavier, still inside the same mood, taking the song finally home.
Lucid is the most progressive of the new singles, with some orchestral renditions added to the glorious music of Arshenic. The same qualities as the other singles apply here, with fine Metal music and wondrous vocals.
Arshenic’s four singles are a reminder of this band’s ability to create and perform music that has no boundaries and follows no rules. Arshenic have always had a wide palette with every colour from every relevant music style, and they are not afraid to use any of these colours to create their quality music, and we have seen that again in Bloodsucker, Extraterrestrial, Black goat, and Lucid.
