An unusual first name has definitely its disadvantages (you have to spell it way more often than the average person, for example), but on the other hand it can be an advantage when looking for a band name: just as is, slightly modified or (as in this case) simply reversed it might even serve as one. And nobody would deny that SUIDAKRA definitely has a “metal sound” to it!
A full three decades in (including the time under the original name Gloryfication), no other founding member apart from front man Arkadius Antonik is still active with the Düsseldorf quartet. Over the years, there have been no fewer than 12 line-up changes until bassist Oje was brought on board in 2022, fortunately and the band has finally been stable ever since.

I am particularly familiar with SUIDAKRA from the late 1990s and early 2000s, when they made a name for themselves in the local and later regional scene. Already their first album landed them a small underground hit: Warpipes Call Me was a permanent fixture on the playlists of many pagan and/or folk metal parties of the time.
I don't know exactly why (It’s certainly partially because I've been to far fewer local underground concerts and festivals since 2007 due to my job), but over the years I've almost completely lost sight of the band.

It was only by chance that I saw Darkanakrad in the promo list and thought to write about it simply for nostalgic reasons: not knowing that in the meantime a back catalog of (including the current one) no less than 16 long players and a few more EPs and singles had accumulated, which at least wanted to be briefly checked out to for comparison purposes. I'm certainly not alone in my opinion that SUIDAKRA went through a low point between 2013 and 2020 (likely at least in part due to the many line-up changes) and released a whole series of albums that were rather weaker by their own standards. So, I'm all the more pleased that Darkanakrad caught my attention again at the right time, because this album is really good. Stylistically, the band goes mostly back to their roots, but without ever sounding old-fashioned. The accustomed epic melodies and numerous folk influences are skillfully interwoven with (occasionally surprisingly fast-paced) melodic death metal as well as a pinch of black metal here and there, always managing the balancing act of not becoming too “soft”. Introduced and interspersed with very atmospheric instrumentals, Darkanakrad offers eight quite varied tracks that reflect all facets of the band's thirty-year history. If I have to recommend particular tracks, I’d single out two of the heavier ones, The Heart of Darkness and Cruinnath's Breath, as well as their exact counterpart that serves as the “quasi-finale”. In Shadows Deep is a thoughtful, slow and beautiful songs that comes without any harsh sounds at all. The only thing SUIDAKRA could have done without is the clear vocals (especially the first half of the album has quite a lot of those), but that's mainly personal preference and has no album-specific reason. As a little treat, Darkanakrad closes with a medley of various At The Gates classics: a nice tribute to a band that clearly had a strong influence on SUIDAKRA's style.

If you’re already a fan of SUIDAKRA, I can recommend the album without reservation, but also every other lover of melodic death metal should risk an ear. I hope that the band will continue along the path they have taken with Darkanakrad, focusing on their proven strengths. And that they will complete at least decade number four without more lineup struggles.