Hailing from the Southern Russian region of Tatarstan, ALKONOST is another pagan metal highlight from the former Soviet Union. Formed in 1995 and somewhere comparable to countrymen ARKONA, on the other hand ALKONOST has an unique own sound and style. ALKONOST is far more epic then the average pagan metal band. Mainly because of the beautiful serene female vocals by Alena Pelevina and the melachcholic, endless leads by founding member and lead guitarist Andrey Losev. ALKONOST is the goddess of the land of the dead in Slavic mythology. She is pictured as half-woman / half-bird.