Aria (RUS)
Hero of Asphalt


4.0
excellent

Review

by Itishappeningagain USER (1 Reviews)
June 20th, 2013 | 15 replies


Release Date: 1988 | Tracklist

Review Summary: A good album that most metalheads will enjoy.

Aria (Russian: Ария) is a Russian heavy metal band that was formed in 1985 in Moscow. Despite being the fact it's a Russian band it carries the NWOBHM styled sound that is very close to Iron Maiden (To a point where certain riffs sound the same). They are to this day the leading Russian metal act.

The 1987 Hero Of A Speedway (It literally says so under the Russian tittle on my vinyl copy "Speedway" not "Asphalt") was their breakthrough into the mainstream. It was their first album released by Melodiya (At the time music publishing monopoly) which would later lead them into various tours and achieving fame around the Soviet Union. The frontman Valeryi Kipelov sounds like a softer version of Bruce Dickinson (more similarities are noticeable in later records). The riffs are enjoyable just as one would expect from a band that emulates the NWOBHM sound. Guitarists Vladimir Holstinin and Sergey Mavrin do a great job covering the guitar duties with an enjoyable solo in every song. Drums and bass are also done nicely by Vitaly Dubinin and Maxim Udalov. The most epic song on the album is perhaps "Ballad of an Ancient Russian Warrior" which showcases the bands top notch abilities at writing a song similar to "The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" without making it sound like knockoff.

Now a little about the production. It's actually really good for a USSR released album. The instruments are audible and the vocals don't sound hollow like they often to on Soviet released (particularly the Riga Melodiya factory) records. The CD version I believe should sound about the same so if you want to hear what pre Aspid Russian metal sounded like check this band and album out. Just don't be too surprised if you find a riff or two borrowed from Iron Maiden or Judas Priest in other releases.


user ratings (13)
4.2
excellent
related reviews

Playing With Fire


Comments:Add a Comment 
Itishappeningagain
June 20th 2013


323 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

First review. Plz don't hurt me :c

Artuma
June 20th 2013


32762 Comments


umm like half of this review is like "hey check this band it's similar to Iron Maiden"

CaptainAaarrrggghhh
June 20th 2013


432 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

It is.

CaptainAaarrrggghhh
June 20th 2013


432 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

For the record, Kipelov sounds like a harsher version of Dickinson. He's much less of a "heroic singer" and a bit closer to being "demonic", on this and the two follow-ups.

My fellow Russian, this site really doesn't need to know about this band.

Itishappeningagain
June 20th 2013


323 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Booo 3 negs so what only Sonic and Kill get to write bad reviews? Did I not use FUCK enough times?

CaptainAaarrrggghhh
June 20th 2013


432 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I think just the concept of a Russian Iron Maiden rip-off (which they obviously were, though I used to

listen to them much more often than to actual Maiden) is enough to lure in the negs. And to be fair,

the info you bring up and the way you do it might seem pretty obscure and unnecessary to anyone who

hears about this band for the first time.

By the way, darkside.ru has some killer Aria reviews with most of the band history covered.

Read KILL's review of From Enslavement To Obliteration by Napalm Death.

Itishappeningagain
June 20th 2013


323 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Wow Captain, I fucking love you for admitting that. No, seriously I've had so many Aria fanboys just go NO YOU'RE WRONG AND STUPID when I would point to songs they literally stole riffs from and whatnot. I only bothered with this cause this seems to rip off the least though. As for obscurity this site jizzes over bizzare metal so that shouldn't have been an issue.

Artuma
June 20th 2013


32762 Comments


KILL's reviews are hilarious

CaptainAaarrrggghhh
June 20th 2013


432 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Thanks. As for oddities and such, they're not bizzare, just as you said, they played NWOBMH. And for many Russia is still an obscure place, probably not in a good way.

Itishappeningagain
June 20th 2013


323 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Now Captain that type of metal in itself is obscure as shit even if the band is British I bet most folk haven't heard Witchfinder General or Satan here and this right here is specially weird since it's a band that sounds like something it has very little relation to not being from Britain in the early 80s and whatnot. For the record I've also added Kino a while ago.

CaptainAaarrrggghhh
June 20th 2013


432 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Well, there are obscure bands in any genre.

How did that go?



Itishappeningagain
June 20th 2013


323 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

1 Rating lol and that one's mine.

Obscurity shall be worshipped by this site since half the users are secretly hipsters.

CaptainAaarrrggghhh
June 20th 2013


432 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I still believe russophobia is to blame

Itishappeningagain
June 20th 2013


323 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I forgot to mention this album has hidden subliminal messages to worship communism...damn it.

Geadom
August 12th 2013


3765 Comments


I pos, good enough for a first review.
Im interested in Russia thrash/heavy/death metal scene, so i´ll check this out. Any more extreme Russian bands you can rec, Happening again?



You have to be logged in to post a comment. Login | Create a Profile





STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS // CONTACT US

Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


Site Copyright 2005-2023 Sputnikmusic.com
All Album Reviews Displayed With Permission of Authors | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy