The New Wave of West African Metal
In Lomé, there are no metal clubs and the genre is not always welcome. However, today, Togo is becoming one of the cornerstones of African metal with the rise and shine of Arka'n Asrafokor.
This metal fusion band represents a new, extreme West African sound, both rooted in regional rhythmic cultures like Gazo and Blekete, as well as being deeply immersed in the metal universe of the 80s and 90s. The rhythms and sounds of the land make up the cultural base of the band’s music - called “asrafocore”, meaning the music of the warriors. Their values are conveyed in the groups hard hitting lyrics, written in Ewe (one of the languages of Togo), English, and the occasional nod to French.
Arka'n Asrafokor are musical explorers, constantly playing around with different facets of metal, between trash, speed, Neo and death influences. Between guttural vocals and rapped flows, heavy riffs and regional rhythms, they represent something new on the rapidly growing, global metal scene. There are also rhythmic parts where the percussion instruments take over the rage of the guitars, and moments of grace with acoustic solos and fluid Afrofunk.
The group made their debut with Zã Keli (Light/Darkness) in 2019 – a synthesis of several years of experience and evolution. After having toured for a few years in West Africa (Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire...) in the rare spots where rock and metal are welcome, the band went on tour the summer and fall 2022 in Europe where audiences discovered at festivals like Paleo Festival and Eurockeennes one of the most exciting and promising bands of the moment. Their 2024 album Dzikkuh, showed a band with an even tighter grip around their songwriting and collective performances. This autumn, Oslo better get ready for the new wave of West African metal.
