Exclusive interview: group “Aria”. Interview Interview with the group Aria

One of the contenders for the position of the vocalist of “Aria”, the voice of the group “BIOTOK” and “Chernovikov Margarita” Sergei Lobanov gave an exclusive interview to the portal of free music reviews 1ne-more.ru When did you realize that you couldn’t live without music and decided to connect your life with it? In fact, I have been associated with music for a very long time, because my whole family sings, but I seriously thought about becoming a musician in the 10th grade of school. That's when I first auditioned for the group. Then he continued at the university in Moscow in his first year and then wandered around different groups, looking for himself and a group that wants to grow professionally, create, and not play rock and metal with the pathos of kiss and the approach of PIVCHIK =) Which artists inspired and influenced you in your time? Oh, well, the list could be long. It was Kipelov who inspired at first. And then Lefler inspired. Not because of his voice, but because he was so young and became the vocalist of a very famous group, which means that everything is real in this life. Bruce Dickinson amazed me with his technique and behavior on stage, his breathing, but this is already the technical side, I could name more than half of Western metal, and there are people to listen to from domestic metal, but these are no longer inspirations. From these people I took some chips, interesting moves, equipment, etc. What qualities, in your opinion, should the vocalist of the group “Aria” have? Withstanding to pour out the discontent of the true fans of the golden composition of Aria from the trash can =) In all seriousness, the negativity that Arthur felt is terrible. Of course, he took on a very heavy burden, at that moment any vocalist would have become such an object of dissatisfaction, and it’s not about Arthur, but about the collapse of Aria. If the group had ended up being called not Aria, but as Chimera was supposed to be, then the demand would have been different. Who would you like to see take the place of the new frontman of “Aria”? Well, of course, myself =) And if not myself, then only Valery Kipelov. Despite everything, this line-up inspires me personally the most. This voice timbre is unique and has been absorbed into our minds and souls for many years. There is no smoke without fire, and in the meantime, rumors that you will become the new frontman of “Aria” are getting stronger, and most of the fans don’t seem to mind either, have anyone from the “Aria” group approached you? No comments, but you are right about the smoke. Do you think Arthur Berkut can create his own group, which, like the Kipelov group, will stand on a par with Aria and give it serious competition on the domestic metal scene? I think not. After all, the Kipelov group initially played songs from the same “Aria” before their first album, and Kipelov left not alone, but with half of the group: Terentyev, Mavrin, Manyakin - these are strong and legendary musicians. Arthur leaves alone, and he cannot take his repertoire with him, except perhaps the song “Your Day” from the last album, which he wrote himself. In addition, the current “Aria” has roughly half as many fans as the “Aria” of Kipelov’s time. This means that Arthur’s fans are about four times smaller than Valery’s. Simple conditional arithmetic. This was clearly visible at the 20th anniversary of the album “Hero of Asphalt,” when the audience chanted “Kipelov.” Recently, in your interview for “Aryan Family”, you assessed Valery Kipelov’s vocals on the latest album of his group; could you summarize the work of Arthur Berkut in the “Aria” group? In what ways was he inferior to Valery, and in what ways was he better? Did the group reach a fundamentally different level with him or did they remain at the same level? This is a very long topic. In short, Arthur is a very powerful vocalist, but every vocalist has a comfortable tessitura, and there are keys in which the vocalist is uncomfortable to sing. So Arthur is uncomfortable with the songs of “Aria”. Whatever one may say, vocalists have different tessituras. But the band’s new songs turned out quite well. I really like “The Light of Past Love”. To summarize: with Arthur the band is tougher, but it seems to me that they have lost their former melody. I lowered the vocal bar, moved away from high notes and the head register, from mixed music. She just changed. Which of the two “Aryan” albums recorded with Artur Berkut did you like better and what is your favorite album of the “Aria” group? The most performed by Arthur is, of course, “Baptism of Fire.” Due to the material. In general, I like the good old albums better, starting with “Hero of Asphalt” and up to “Generator of Evil” inclusive, and in “Chimera” there are masterpiece compositions.

“Aria” just recently turned 15 years old. Therefore, it would probably be appropriate to first talk about the group in general. By the way, how does it feel to be the grandfathers of a domestic “heavy”? "Aria" at the moment is practically the only team from the many "heavy" groups that emerged in the mid-to-late 80s that remains in favor with the public, regularly releasing records, etc.

I don’t even know... We don’t feel like “grandfathers”. There is a common saying that a person is only as old as he feels. So we feel like we did 15 years ago, as if we had just started. It turns out to be a kind of time machine, or something... As for our individual prosperity, we don’t feel much satisfaction about this - we want there to be competition and specialized charts for heavy music. Otherwise, for the mass listener, it turns out that we don’t seem to have heavy bands anymore, although this, of course, is not the case.

-And how did it happen that from “Singing Hearts” grew... well, that’s what grew? Was it a “revolution from below” or did Vekshtein (Viktor Vekshtein - artistic director of the VIA “Singing Hearts”, later director of “Aria”, until 1989 - GS’s note) dream all his life of being a director for leathery-riveted guys?

In fact, this is not entirely true: none of us worked at the Singing Hearts VIA. Just at "Singing Hearts" in 1982-85. (VIA itself existed until 1989 - GS note) there was a rather difficult period - the composition often changed and so on. By the way, during this period of time many now famous people passed through the team, for example Nikolai Noskov. And, apparently, Victor Vekshtein was already thinking about creating a new or at least an alternative project. There were quite a few people vying for this place... I think that Alik Granovsky (the first bassist of “Aria” - GS) and I were simply lucky that we were able to somehow convince Wekshtein that “Aria” is what he needs now and he invited us to his Mosconcert. In those days, in order to work more or less freely on a professional basis, it was a necessary condition - to officially work in some philharmonic organization

-Tell me, do you think the time spent under the “roof” of the Soviet concert organization was not wasted? As far as I know, this is a good vocational school...

Yes, about school - that’s true, I had to play, on average, thirty concerts a month (!!! - GS), usually 2 concerts a day. A trip for, say, a week, in general, was not considered a tour - just a hack job. Here are 2-3 weeks, a month - this is already a tour. Such a work schedule was an absolutely necessary condition for existence, since the musician’s salary at that time in the Mosconcert was 11 rubles per performance and, in order not only to feed the family, but also to be able to buy a new instrument or something from the apparatus, change strings, etc. etc., it was necessary to work off at least 20 concerts a month. Well, in the sense of a professional school, it was an excellent practice. After all, I had to play not only a lot, but also in different cities, on completely different venues, with different quality of sound... As a result, people begin to navigate any stage, so to speak, “with their eyes closed”; sometimes they had to coordinate their playing only visually, according to the way a drummer’s arm or leg moves... So one and a half thousand concerts played under the auspices of the Mosconcert cannot be called in vain.

-It would be interesting to know how the creative process itself usually proceeds - who is the generator of ideas in the group, how compositions are arranged - by someone individually or by the whole team?

There is no specific system, sometimes a song can be written individually, sometimes by two people, and sometimes by the whole team. The same applies to arrangements: sometimes it’s the author of the idea who makes the entire arrangement, and sometimes the whole team (or part of it) fights.

Best of the day

- This is probably a somewhat incorrect question - but oh well... It’s no secret that any creative person, be it a musician, artist or sculptor, is characterized (compared to ordinary, “average” people) with a fairly strongly developed egocentrism. When working in a group, do you sometimes have to hide your pride somewhere away in order to achieve a good collective result? And is it worth doing this if you are one hundred percent sure that you are right, and the rest of the team members do not support you?

It's definitely worth it. If there are creative people in the group, then they will all generate ideas. Therefore, in order for everyone to work towards a common goal, it is absolutely necessary to learn how to work with them (as well as for them with you). If in controversial situations everyone stands their ground “until the last”, then this will most likely eventually simply lead to the disintegration of the group. There are, however, other options - when a team is formed around a clear leader, but this is not about us, “Aria” is still a “classical” group, where all participants have equal rights and self-worth. But is it worth standing your ground if you are one hundred percent sure that you are right... There have been such cases, and you had to regret it later... It is difficult to answer this question. It seems that for the sake of business you need to stand your ground, but for a normal situation in the team it is better to find a compromise. No, this is a swamp... it’s like thinking about the meaning of life. I guess I still haven’t found the answers to these questions myself.

-Now let’s get closer to guitar matters. I noticed (and I'm probably not the only one) that lately you haven't been using instruments with a Floyd Rose tremolo system. Why?

Indeed, for several years I enjoyed using the Floyd Rose, then again switched to a regular Strat machine. There are probably several reasons. Firstly, Fender finally began using a tremolo on its instruments, which is mounted on two stop screws, rather than six, as on vintage models. That is, their modern “machine” works almost the same as the Floyd Rose. Secondly, because this tremolo weighs much less than a Floyd Rose, the guitar is less out of tune. For example, if you tune a guitar with a Floyd, leaning forward and down a little (which often happens when you tune using a tuner), then when you finish tuning and return to your normal position, you may find that the tuning has moved. Floyd Rose has a large mass and in this case, it simply raises the strings slightly in relation to the plane of the soundboard during tuning. When the position of the body changes, everything seems to fall into place, but it turns out that the tuning of the guitar is no longer the same. Thirdly, Floyd Rose - perhaps the most "subtle" of the existing instruments for working with tremolo and not everyone and not always need all the opportunities that it gives to the guitarist. After thinking about it and conducting some analysis and comparison of the pros and cons in relation to my playing style, I still decided to give up from this type of "rocking chair". But the most important thing is the problem of replacing the strings. To be honest, I was a little tired of fiddling with biting off the strings, and I also constantly had to carry 2 sets of keys for the machine with me (the second one is in reserve if the first one is lost, which is not at all uncommon). And the process of changing strings on a Floyd takes quite a long time. If, say, a string breaks at a concert, then on an instrument with a strat tremolo it is quite possible to change it in half a verse. With Floyd Rose, this number does not work and you need to immediately take another guitar.

-What kind of guitars do you currently have in service and why exactly these and not others?

The two main instruments that I almost always have are a Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson Les Paul. Although it was not without mental tossing: there were periods when I abandoned one instrument in favor of another, then vice versa... but, in the end, I decided to save up money so that I could always have both at hand. In addition, I currently have a Hamer Standard, a Martin acoustic (which is what I usually use to record acoustic parts in the studio), and a recently custom Russtone guitar, which is a board guitar but with a Schaller piezo pickup, inspired by a Gibson Chet Atkins. I use the latter instrument at concerts as an acoustic guitar, since it can be technically difficult with a full-size Martin drednought on stage: the large soundboard of an acoustic guitar is very prone to “wind up” for any reason. As for the Hamer Standard, the exployer-type shape is for me I always liked it, and besides, in my opinion, it has certain advantages - less interference for the right hand, especially when the guitar hangs low. So at concerts I use this instrument more and more often. In general, having a Hamer instrument has always been my goal my dream. The fact is that I have been a long-time fan of Judas Priest, and especially their guitarist Glenn Tipton, since the early 80s. In my eyes, Tipton stood out from many guitarists of that time and, in particular, with his instrument , and this was just a Hamer. I even made several attempts to find in stores at least a copy made in Korea or Japan, but to no avail. Later it turned out that nothing would have come of this venture - for people like Tipton, Hamer manufactures instruments in an exclusive version, respecting the desire of great musicians to have truly original, “their” instruments. The only person who, in the almost thirty-year history of the company, agreed to clone his model was Steve Stevens. However, in 1998 I managed to meet Hamer manager Greg Orred at an exhibition in Moscow, and he then personally selected the instrument for me. So, about six months after we met, my old dream finally came true.

-By the way, how do you feel about craftsmen’s tools in general? As far as I know, our people, if the question arises about choosing between Ibanez JS and a custom tool, in most cases the choice will be in favor of the first, and the attitude towards the master tool is quite definite - “homemade”...

I think that these are still echoes of Soviet times: then, for the vast majority of musicians, neither American nor Japanese instruments were available - it was extremely difficult to get them, and they cost so much that very few could afford such an instrument. And not everyone wanted to buy a “Ural” or at least some kind of “Muzima” or “Eterna”... Accordingly, the craftsmen who were approached to make a custom-made instrument were also put into quite strict limits - they couldn’t make very expensive, but good. And such compromises are always fraught... Plus, it was almost impossible to get high-quality components - sensors, fittings, which also did not contribute to improving the quality of work. Now, thank God, the situation has changed, although it is still possible to run into “homemade” work. It’s just that if you’ve already decided to order a master’s instrument for yourself, you need to understand guitars at least a little yourself - then the result will be decent. For example, I am not at all ashamed to play an instrument that was made for me at Russtone - I have previously played both an American Gibson Chet Atkins and a Korean one, and I can say that Russtone suits me quite well in terms of quality. Yes, I also had other craftsman’s tools. For example, the entire album “Playing with Fire” was recorded on a guitar made by Alexander Patievich from Lvov.

-What about sensors? Do you prefer to have different pickups on different instruments, or do you stick to one (or more or less similar) set?

I have tried many different pickups in my life and, in the end, came to very specific sets: if it is a humbucker instrument (like a Les Paul), then this is a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge position and a DiMarzio PAF in the neck position. If we are talking about a single-coil, strat-shaped guitar, then I use the DiMarzio Fast Track series, usually Fast Track 2 as a bridge pickup and Fast Track 1 as a neck pickup. Although sometimes I use other models, for example Pro Track. True, there are exceptions: sometimes, in order to, say, record a specific part or composition, I have to install completely different pickups than the ones I usually play on. You just feel that the sound here should be a little different, so you start experimenting, looking for a more suitable sound.

-About sound reinforcement: do you always have the same set-up of effects, amplifiers, speakers - at a concert and when working in the studio, or does this set vary depending on the circumstances?

Yes, usually the same. This is a Marshall Dual Reverb tube combo amp that I usually drive with an Ibanez Tube Screamer. True, lately I’ve been using Overdrive Three Mode, which Enver Chokhaev made for me. I liked this device so much that I recorded the new record that we are now preparing for release exclusively with its help, and I have been using it at concerts for several months now. I had never heard anything like the sound before. By the way, Enver also made active electronics for that Russtone guitar, which we already talked about. Before the "swing" there is a Jim Dunlop Cry Baby "wah", and after - a Behringer Guitar Denoizer - a rack-mount device. Why such a device? Simply because small noise canceling pedals like BOSS greatly affect the sound for the worse, even in the bypass state. Behringer works with sound much more intelligently and allows you to work much more subtly with noise reduction parameters, introducing virtually no changes to the sound. By the way, I also like Cry Baby because in the state when the effect itself is turned off, the signal passes directly, the “wah” has no influence on it. Another important detail is a good, expensive cable, since the sound depends very much on the quality of the switching. Finally, a TC Electronic G-Force processor is connected between the preamplifier in the combo and its power amplifier. Although it also has various overloads, I don’t use them (well, except when I’m working at home, “in the kitchen”), still preferring “honest” tube signal distortion. So the main use of G-Force for me is as a modulation effects processor and, I must say, in this incarnation this device is one of the best in the world at the moment.

-Thank you, Vladimir, for a fascinating conversation. I congratulate your team and you personally on the group’s 15th anniversary and wish you creative success in your difficult musical life.

It's finally done. PLAY talked with “the best voice of Russian hard rock.” Almost on the run - Valery Kipelov, who generally gives interviews extremely reluctantly, carved out time for conversation just before leaving for the next tour. Nevertheless, we managed to discuss in detail the new album of the Kipelov group “Rivers of Times” and wash the bones of the Aria group that refused Kipelov’s services. Unfortunately, the conductor was very afraid that your correspondent would leave for Saransk without a ticket and escorted him out of the carriage before he had time to ask the vocalist about raising his granddaughter and his attitude towards the Putin regime.

“The life of a Russian artist is hard and unsightly,” I thought, shifting from foot to foot on the frost-covered platform No. 6 of the Kazan station. The damned structure of domestic show business forces musicians to travel around the country every now and then on creaking planes and trains like this one, with the unglamorous name “Mordovia”. The director of the Kipelov group, Rina Lee, is waiting with me at the 12th carriage - for all three years of the group’s existence, she, like a Decembrist, accompanies the musicians on tours. Rina says that it is not easy to persuade Kipelov to give an interview: on the day before the concert he does not go out anywhere - he protects his voice. Well, there is something to protect.

Finally, the vocalist himself appears - almost lightly, in contrast to the drummer Alexander Manyakin who came after him, who is literally lighting up his new case for drum cymbals (the case is heavy and constantly strives to open). Kipelov smokes a cigarette and invites me into the carriage.

The “veterans” of the group - Kipelov and Manyakin - are going on tour to Saransk in a sleeping car. The rest of the musicians are in the next compartment. Your correspondent had to interview artists in a car, at the airport, on a floating barge, but at the station - for the first time. I sit down on Manyakin’s shelf and ask Valery Kipelov a pressing question:

Interesting setting for an interview. Aren't you tired of nomadic life after all this time?

Not really. I haven't gotten tired of it in 25 years.

Have trips become a habit?

I'm more tired at home. And I perceive going to a concert as a day off. It only gets tiring when there are a large series of concerts and you don’t have time to rehabilitate yourself. Especially if you arrive, and in Moscow there is a pile of things that need to be dealt with urgently.

Since its founding, the Kipelov group has given a huge number of concerts...

And you just got your first numbered album. Why did he have to wait so long - three years?

Despite the fact that we had known each other for a long time, and with Sergei Mavrin and Sergei Terentyev we worked together in Aria for eight years, we still had to play together in a new way in the new group. We had a new bass player Alexey Kharkov. Those songs that Vitaly Dubinin and Vladimir Kholstinin wrote remained in Aria, so we were faced with a repertoire problem. We looked at what we had in stock and took several compositions from Mavrin and I’s solo album - in particular, “I’m Free.” The concert program included about twenty songs - those that one of us composed, and those works by Andrei Bolshakov and Alik Granovsky that were performed by the first cast of "Aria" - "Will and Reason" and others. There was no consensus in the group - someone suggested first composing new songs, making an album, but I understood that nothing just happens right away. We must decide which direction to move. We had to get used to each other, understand what we want. Time has shown that we did the right thing by starting with touring. Literally in October 2002 (the Kipelov group was formed in September of the same year. - PLAY note) we already performed in St. Petersburg, at the Sports Palace. It was necessary to strengthen the composition, and I hoped that new songs would appear in the process. We could stop touring at any time and go into the studio. And then, at the beginning, there were no songs, and I decided not to waste time sitting and inventing a steam locomotive - it’s not clear what would have come of it. The story of the Kipelov group could have ended almost immediately if we had not gone on tour. In the studio, problems could arise with ambitions, views - one is drawn there, another is drawn there... Therefore, the main thing at that time was to try to tour and play together. Why did they take so long with the album? First Terentyev left, then Mavrin...

It turns out that I had to start over more than once...

Yes, we had to bring in new musicians and start all over again. When Terentyev was in the lineup, we made only one new song - “Babylon”. There were a lot of ideas, but they never materialized into anything concrete or real. We had to rely not on new products, which were in their infancy, but on the song “I'm Free,” recorded back in 1997 and undeservedly forgotten. We gave it to the radio, and suddenly it became very popular.

According to Rina Lee, persuading the musicians to make a new version of the song “I'm Free” was not an easy task. Only the authority of Mikhail Kozyrev, who stated that Nashe Radio was looking forward to this track, forced the Kipelovites to sit in the studio. “And now respectable ladies go to concerts specifically to listen to “I’m Free,” the group director marvels.

V. Golovanov? The designers got this mixed up - in fact, he is Andrey, our guitarist who replaced Terentyev. There is another song by Mavrin - “Prophet”, which we have been performing for a long time. In general, before the release of the album, about half of its track list was played at concerts. The lyrics for the remaining songs were not ready, although we finished work on the musical material in February of this year.

Both “Aria” and “Kipelov” complain that the poetess Margarita Pushkina is always slowing down their process.

The last text was written sometime in early July.

Have you thought about turning to other songwriters?

We tried, yes. There was little choice. We have a good relationship with Edmund Shklyarsky from Picnic, and he offered us some texts. Unfortunately, not a single text was completed, because we understood that it was going somewhere in the wrong direction. Sasha Elin tried to write - they gave him one song, but somehow it didn’t happen either. In general, we decided to finish the album with Pushkina. I helped her, we came up with topics together. It was not like she composed what she wanted - no, the work went on under our strict guidance.

It turns out that you showed yourself to be such conservatives, not moving away from the melodic hard rock of “Aria” or from the solemn lyrics of Margarita Pushkina?

We wanted the album to be heavy and melodic, and I think we succeeded.

Was there any desire to do something radically different - to perform in a different genre, to invite another poet?

I myself am a conservative person in this regard. In the musical direction of "Aria" almost everything suited me. I like this kind of traditional hard and heavy music, and my reference points when I got acquainted with heavy music were Ozzy Osbourne, early Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, later Judas Priest, Iron Maiden. And the modern branches are somehow not very good for me... Although there are groups that I like - Muse, for example. Maybe this is somehow reflected in our music... But in general there were no experiments, I just wanted to make a good album and sing in it about what I want to sing about.

Don’t you think Pushkina’s texts are somewhat “sophisticated” and difficult to understand?

We are accused of excessive pathos, but this does not come from Pushkina. If you take her poetry, you can see a lot there. And what is sung in the lyrics of “Kipelov” comes to a greater extent from us. We are not exactly pretentious people, but we are so... romantic. The lyrics on this album turned out to be quite personal. I can say that “Breath of Darkness” is not a song about a pilot, as many people think. I wanted the lyrics to reflect the events of those three years that the group existed - although, of course, in a slightly veiled form.

Why did Terentyev and Mavrin leave?

Terentyev either didn’t believe in this project or something else, but he tried to leave several times: he said that he was tired of wandering around the cities, he wanted to concentrate on working in the studio. After a successful concert at Luzhniki, when we proved that we had made it as a group, he unexpectedly left for good. As I understand it, he felt quite constrained within the framework of our music and wanted to engage in solo work. True, even after leaving he helped me with the arrangements. About the same story happened to Mavrin. Problems also arose because there was no new album, and he considered constant touring to be stupid money-making without creative prospects. He brought a lot of new material and was offended when I suggested somehow adapting it to the style of the group. Let's say, make a long song more compact. Then, Mavrik spent eight years working only on his own project, and it was difficult for him to adapt to team thinking. It seems to me that he was not entirely sure that Kipelov was his place. I didn’t put pressure on him, I tried to find a compromise, but, unfortunately, in October last year he also left the group.

Did these departures threaten the group's existence? Was it alarming?

It was not very pleasant, because Terentyev and Mavrin are strong musicians and arrangers. I didn’t know what would happen next, whether we would find an equivalent replacement, whether we could record an album with the young Alexey Kharkov and Andrey Golovanov.

How did the alliance develop with Rage guitarist Viktor Smolsky, who works with the band as a specal guest?

The four of us were looking for a guitarist, and suddenly the songwriting process went quickly. There were, of course, certain frictions, but they were not radical. We thought about the arrangements together, it reminded me of the relationship in the early “Aria”.

Well, probably, the young people didn’t have as many ambitions as Terentyev and Mavrin?

Yes, they compromised more easily, and I tried my best to help them. I also mostly worked on the lyrics for their songs. But we don’t have any “mine”, “yours” - if one of them wrote the entire album, I would be only happy. At the same time, we auditioned two or three guitarists, and I was sad because no people came to mind that would suit us. There are many good musicians, but not all of them are able to join the team and work in the interests of the team. And this is one of the main conditions for me - a good internal climate in the group. In “Aria” we didn’t talk to each other for a year, and the memory of this was painful for me - I wouldn’t want to repeat these things in my group. I was turning over musicians in my mind and thought about Smolsky. And suddenly the phone rang unexpectedly, and I was invited to the Moscow presentation of his solo album in Moscow. We met, and I invited him to participate in the recording of the album - there was no talk of joint concert work at that time. In principle, we knew each other - “Aria” went on a big tour with Rage, and then Victor played “Will and Reason” with us at one of the “Kipelov” concerts. He confirmed his desire to participate in the recording, which took place in a great mood, and I’m not even talking about his professional level. The arrangements were basically ready, he played along with the solo and came up with some solo pieces. And then there was talk about his participation in the tour. And now most concerts take place with his participation, which we are very happy about.

He also had a hand in mixing the album, right?

It was mixed at the Gernhart studio in Germany, Victor was a consultant: it was difficult for the German sound engineers to understand what we had in store, but he was in the material and helped them.

So are you going to look for a “full-time” guitarist?

The fact is that we travel without Victor, he does not always take part in our tours.

Do viewers feel the difference?

It’s hard to say, but they are greeted well both with him and without him. Without Victor, it’s probably harder to work on some big shows at the Sports Palaces. With him everything goes more dynamically, or something. This suits us for now, and we are not specifically looking for a replacement.

Didn’t Smolsky offer his songs to the group?

He proposed, but we weren’t up to it yet - we were finishing “Rivers of Time.” But in the future everything is possible.

- “Aria” celebrated its 20th anniversary, but you prudently planned a concert for that day in another city. Was this done to spare them the agony of making a moral choice: should they invite you or not?

No no. The tour was planned several months in advance. To be honest, I didn’t have any particular desire to participate in the anniversary, since we didn’t part on very good terms, and there was a bitter feeling left.

So even if they called, you wouldn’t go?

Maybe they would have gone with Alexander Manyakin, but not as participants in the show. They would probably have watched from the audience, but they did not participate as musicians. In addition, I personally did not receive an invitation from them. There was an official invitation from the Aria administration, which was received by our administration.

Diplomacy, however. From the outside it looks quite funny when adults who have played together for 17 years pretend for the last three years that they don’t know each other.

If you pay attention, on the Aria website all information about us has been erased, as if none of us were ever in the group.

Yes? Did not pay attention.

Then, when on our first posters our names were accompanied by the inscription “ex-Aria”, they were met with hostility, they sent angry letters to the organizers, etc. There were some articles with their version of the collapse, disputes around the name “Aria” - nonsense, of course, but unpleasant.

Do you think we can expect a touching one-night reunion for the 25th anniversary?

Anything is possible, let's not speculate.

Manyakin: We, in general, congratulated them from the stage during our concert in Orel.

Kipelov: And they asked Margarita Pushkina to congratulate the group personally on our behalf. Still, for me “Aria” was an unforgettable stage in my life.

Of course. So why did it fall apart?

There were many reasons, it is impossible to name just one. Conflicts arose more than once over 17 years, and not everything was smooth. You can remember the first departure of Bolshakov, Granovsky and Molchanov, the departure of Maxim Udalov, the story with Mavrin, when I was expelled from the group in 1995, and in the end Seryoga was left out of work... And all this somehow accumulated... In the end I refused record the next album, because he considered the situation in the group unhealthy: we didn’t talk to each other, and it was pointless to record a disc together. I suggested not to drive the horses, to wait it out, to somehow improve relations. But I was told: if you don’t want to write an album, then you have to leave.

Kholstinin also complained that the vocalist refuses to sing about all sorts of devilry, which greatly narrows the group’s creative horizons...

This happened too. I thought that we were playing into these dark deeds, although, of course, we were not any Satanists.

Manyakin: By the way, Berkut did not sing “Antichrist” at the concert - they played it as an instrumental piece.

Kipelov: We have faced more than once that our songs are perceived inadequately. We put one meaning into the same “Antichrist”, and in the hall completely misunderstanding people shouted something about “666”.

And these are the costs of complex texts, of which narrow-minded people can only remember the refrain about the Antichrist.

In general, I understood that we were doing something wrong. I don’t consider myself some kind of Orthodox, which is what Kholstinin tried to accuse me of, but I am an Orthodox person. We started playing at this, and then we started to get into all sorts of chimeras, hexogen, vampires, and so on. The album "Chimera" became such a watershed. Before that, we worked on arrangements together, but now everyone began to work on their own songs - mixed them themselves, worked with Pushkina themselves. But the spirit of the group has gone somewhere.

Last question about "Aria". What do you think about Arthur Berkut?

I've known him for many years. Since he worked at Autograph, and I at VIA “Leisya, song!” He is a very professional vocalist. It must have been difficult for him, because my performance was still heard...

Many people still cannot hear the old “Aryan” songs in his version.

Yes, this is the case with any group: a better vocalist may come, but the viewing habits will be stronger. Iron Maiden, for example, did not succeed after Dickinson left, although Blaze Bayley is an excellent singer. I have a very good attitude towards Arthur, he is capable of working on difficult long tours - it was not by chance that he was chosen.

Which songs on the album "Rivers of Time" do you consider the best?

In general, the disc turned out to be quite smooth. "Aria" had songs on each album that were never performed in concert. And we will play everything. I really like the title song written by Alexey Kharkov, “I’m here”, “Ghost Platoon”... In general, I don’t see any failures, I’m satisfied with almost everything.

We'll have to wait three years again for the next album, or how will it turn out?

This is an unpredictable process. Songs are not baked like pancakes, they must mature. The scope of hard 'n' heavy music is quite narrow, and the subject matter of the texts is quite limited. If you don't have anything to say, it's better to wait.

But the general direction will not change?

I think there will be no drastic steps. We won't play trendy music, although they say that heavy metal ended 10-15 years ago. I see at concerts that the younger generation perceives our songs as a revelation. This is music not of their time, but it is alive and has energy and soul.

Are you inspired by the example of hard rock old men like Ronnie James Dio?

Yes. It amazes me that he has remained one of the best vocalists for so many years. They say he is 64 years old - to sing like that at that age! I would be happy if at least at 55 I retained such a voice.

So you dream of meeting old age on stage?

I would like to push this moment of farewell as far as possible. Whether we have enough strength and whether our music will still be interesting, only time will tell.

So far, no one has been able to outsing you, from my point of view.

It's hard to say, there are some good vocalists emerging.

For example?

There are Khramov from the group "Chimera", in the group "Catharsis" there are good voices...

Well, thank you, I won’t irritate the conductor anymore. Happy touring!

Text: Alexey MAZHAEV, Photo: Vadim SAVITSKY, Nadir CHANYSHEV

The KM.RU portal took the first exclusive interview with Mikhail Zhitnyakov

For three months, the group "" managed to keep fans in the dark about the identity of their new vocalist. And now the “X-hour” has come, we meet - this is Mikhail Zhitnyakov! The KM.RU Music correspondent managed to interview him for the very first time in his new role.

KM.RU: Tell us about your first contacts with the work of “Aria”

— I live (and have always lived) in one village in the nearest Moscow region. At one time, the local cultural center had a vocal-instrumental ensemble group. I became a member of it when I was 14 years old. Since it was originally a children's ensemble, the repertoire was mainly pop. Over time, changes took place in the team, and the age of the participants increased noticeably. So, to one of the rehearsals, one of the musicians brought a cassette of the group “Aria” “2000 and one night”. Everyone really liked the recording, and we began rehearsing two compositions - “Paradise Lost” and “Rose Street”. Of course, at first everything worked out quite primitively, but everyone was really hooked and wanted to work in this direction. While performing at one of the regional rock festivals, I met the musicians of the group “Kurazh” (later “Grand-Kurazh”), where after some time I was invited as a vocalist. The most interesting thing is that the first composition at the audition for this group was the song “Shard of Ice” by “Aria”. Later, with “Courage” we did several more “Aryan” things, occasionally playing them at concerts.

KM.RU: How did you meet the musicians of “Aria”?

— About three years ago, through friends, I managed to meet Margarita Pushkina, who, as you know, is the main author of the lyrics of the Aria group. She was just looking for a vocalist for a song in her project “Dynasty of Initiates.” I was offered the composition “Overturned” (“In the Sky”), which I sang with great enthusiasm. As far as I know, Margarita Anatolyevna was pleased with the result of my performance. After some time, we met Vitaly Dubinin, with whom Margarita Anatolyevna apparently shared her impressions. He even once came to our concert at the Moscow club “Plan B”, where we gave him our CD. At this point, our communication switched to online correspondence. The acquaintance with the rest of the “Aryans” happened after the invitation to the group.

KM.RU: Why did you decide to record such an unobvious track as “Volcano” for the “Aria” tribute?

“In 2010, we were invited to take part in the tribute “Aria” 25 years old,” for which we chose the unreleased song “Volcano.” We had several options, but for some reason everyone immediately decided to take this particular thing. Firstly, the song was not recorded in the studio, thus providing fans of “Aria” with an exclusive opportunity to hear “Vulcan” in the studio version. The second reason, but no less important, I wanted to pay tribute to the author of this song, Viktor Yakovlevich Vekshtein, a man who did a lot for Aria and thanks to whom the whole country recognized the group. We changed the arrangement a little, made it a little more modern and, probably, heavier. I hope the listeners liked our version of “Vulcan”.

KM.RU: You do not have any special vocal education. How did you learn to sing and who did you look up to?

“I really didn’t graduate from any music school, but I always gravitated towards music. Moreover, at first I dreamed of learning to play the guitar and quickly mastered the instrument to accompany myself. Later, I wanted more and more to become a vocalist. My reference points were constantly updated as I grew older and as I listened to music. The first vocalist who made an unforgettable impression on me was Valery Kipelov, thanks to whom I began to listen to heavy music in general. The first rock concert I attended was a joint performance of “Aria” with Udo Dirkschneider in Moscow. I am very glad that the Germans also performed there, because, in addition to my favorite band, I saw and understood that such hard music as U.D.O.’s can be so euphonious and of high quality. Later, when I began to listen to rock music more, I discovered many good vocalists, such as K. Meine, D. Coverdale, J. Lande, etc., but Valery Kipelov’s voice sat so firmly in my head that even when I performed completely different music, they often told me: “Something somehow looks like Kipelov!” I was terribly flattered by this, I had the feeling that I was moving in the right direction.

However, the lack of musical education has always limited me somewhat. The fact is that as part of the concert program with “Gran-Courage” there were quite long sets up to two hours long. Here it was necessary to think about the resource of the voice. Therefore, I have always listened with great enthusiasm to the advice of those authoritative people who met along my creative path.

KM.RU: Who, for example?

— One of the first people who began to advise me on something was Dmitry Borisenkov (“Black Obelisk”), who took an active part in the recording of our album and the recording of “Overturnedness.” Since the collaboration with Margarita Pushkina was not a one-time thing, another single “Marjoram Flower” followed, which I was also asked to sing. During the recording, the well-known Sergei Terentyev acted as producer and sound engineer. He also gave me a lot of necessary information, which I tried to use. The whole thing ended with the desire to master the correct vocal technique haunting me, and I took courses with a fairly well-known music teacher, Ekaterina Belobrova. She trained quite serious vocalists - such as Maxim Samosvat (ex-“Epidemic”), Daria Stavrovich (“SLOT”), Evgeniy Egorov (took Maxim’s place in “Epidemic”), etc. Her school has already given certain results, but I think that now I am still in the learning stage. The work is not finished yet, if possible, I continue to study with Ekaterina Yuryevna.

KM.RU: What did Vitaly Dubinin give you in this regard?

— After I received an offer to work in the Aria group, I immediately talked about my lack of any musical education, but was completely open to it. The fact is that at one time, while communicating with one authoritative person in music, I learned that you need to be careful when choosing a vocal teacher, because many of them can simply stamp some kind of typical voice that sounds in them head, but do not take into account vocal individuality. You are driven into a certain framework and made one of many. It was this warning that to a great extent held me back all these years. But after a conversation with Vitaly Dubinin, who himself, as you know, has a vocal education, I definitely decided to go to a teacher. After talking with the teacher, I realized that there was still a lot of work ahead. There are many nuances that I had not paid any attention to before. Work continues. I hope that sooner or later this will lead to some absolute result. Also, during the recording of the album, Vitaly showed himself to be an excellent vocal producer with a good vision of the material, who knows how to find the right words and explain where and how to sing. I really liked the result, and I hope the listeners do too.

KM.RU: Did any friction or difficulties arise during the recording of the “Aria” album?

“I can immediately say that it was very difficult.” I am very grateful to all the team members who created a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere. But, given the high professional level of the group, the requirements for recording vocals were extremely stringent. Even having some studio experience, I discovered quite a lot of nuances, which all the musicians without exception helped me understand - and, first of all, Vitaly Dubinin. Each time, from song to song, we understood each other faster. I think that I managed to do what Vitaly wanted to hear. I hope that we will be able to demonstrate a certain level.

KM.RU: You spoke in detail about your attitude towards Kipelov. How close are you to the work of “Aria” from the period of Arthur Berkut?

— Arthur Berkut is, of course, a talented professional vocalist with a very bright, recognizable timbre. We have only a few such vocalists! I really like his work, which is associated, first of all, with the group “Autograph”. His voice was in perfect harmony with the music that sounded in this group! The "Arias" album "Baptism by Fire" clearly demonstrated that Arthur can change his performance style to suit the band's material. Songs like "Colosseum" or "Executioner" are definitely hits. Another thing is that if I compare “Aria” and “Autograph” for me, then it was in “Autograph” that Berkut was 100% in his element. His professionalism is beyond question. He had a hard time back in 2002, since for many “Aria” was identified primarily with Valery Kipelov, who has a slightly different style of performance and tessitura (I’m not talking about their vocal ranges, because Arthur also sang quite high in “Autograph” "). Taking this into account, it seems to me that the songs of Kipelov’s period turned out to be not the most convenient for Berkut to perform. Although I attended the “Aria” concerts with Arthur’s vocals and left them quite impressed. Arthur did a great job.

KM.RU: Plus, in “Aria” Arthur Berkut showed himself as an extraordinary and interesting showman. How ready are you to put on a great show at the band's performances?

— In addition to vocal abilities, Arthur, of course, has the talents of an extraordinary frontman. He knows how to attract and hold the attention of the audience. Knowing this, I am well aware that I have a very difficult task ahead of me. In any case, the vocalist goes a little ahead and is the face of the group. So I still have a lot of work ahead of me. There is still a little time left before the tour, and we will certainly work on this at the next rehearsals. I hope I will be able to create my own image, since both Arthur and Valery are unique in their own way. Trying to copy them would be a very wrong idea. Although, for now, I will still pay special attention to the vocals. For me, a vocalist is, first of all, the person who sings, and only then is a performer, actor, etc.

Mikhail Zhitnyakov

KM.RU: Were you tormented by doubts when you received an offer to become the vocalist of “Aria”? How did you feel about it?

- I was shocked! In addition, I knew nothing about the relationships in the group and how events developed there. “Aria” has always been something unattainable for me. To get close to such a distance to understand what kind of people they were was simply unreal for me. When the invitation arrived, I was taken aback and, to be honest, I was not prepared for such a turn and could not answer right away. Naturally, I thought for a while. Plus, I understood that working in the Aria group would completely change my life. After all, at that time music was something like a hobby for me. The “Grand Courage” group was a favorite pastime for all of us, which did not bring in significant income. I understood that in the future I would have to resolve issues with my main job, which now brings in a fairly stable income, and, by and large, suits me. Of course, there were torments. But he agreed because he understood that such an offer might only happen once in a lifetime. At the same time, my doubts were also related to the fact that I was afraid not to justify the trust the musicians placed in me. Still, “Aria” is a group with great history and traditions. Everyone knows that three generations of people come to her concerts. All this weighed heavily on me. All the “Aryans” and, in particular, Vitaly Dubinin, helped me a lot in making the final decision.

KM.RU: So the age difference doesn’t really have an impact?

— Literally after my first conversation with the guys, I found myself in an atmosphere that immediately made me forget about this difference.

KM.RU: So you have excellent relationships with all the band members?

- Absolutely! They all made the most positive impression on me and are very helpful and supportive. It is very pleasant to work in such a friendly environment. At the same time, I understand that I found myself in a professional team, where there is no place for certain things that I could have afforded before.

KM.RU: But are you ready for a situation where fans will inevitably compare you with Berkut, and often not in your favor? After all, unlike Arthur, you initially do not have such experience.

- Yes, indeed, when Arthur started in Aria, he simply could not be envied. Valery Kipelov once set such a high bar that repeating it or reaching a level at least close to this is quite a serious task.

KM.RU: And you will be compared to two at once!

- Yes. Both Valery and Arthur had strong charisma, so from the first day when I received the offer, I thought about this, among other things. Over time, I realized that if I constantly work on myself, and look less at what is happening around me, then I can achieve such a level that I am assessed as an individual person. I understand that comparisons still cannot be avoided. If we talk about readiness for them, this can only be fully understood when the album is released and the first opinions begin to flow. I still hope that I managed to show a certain level when recording the album. And what it is like is still up to the listeners to decide.

KM.RU: What about the danger of getting “star sickness”?

“If I had gotten into a group of this level completely from the sandbox, then, probably, the degree of danger would have been high. Every musician, to one degree or another, experiences creative growth and receives some recognition. At first a handful of people listen to you, then this circle gradually expands. One way or another, this is a copper pipe test. I can say that the people around me still consider my behavior to be quite restrained and do not see me as arrogant. On the other hand, every person in the creative profession probably has such a trait as vanity.

KM.RU: Or, at least, ambition...

- Yes! These feelings, to a certain extent, are the engines of progress. If you want to please people and want your business to bear fruit, you have to work on yourself. So, of course, I have a dose of healthy vanity. Whether it will develop into “star fever”, I don’t know. I consider myself a somewhat sophisticated person, and I think I can handle symptoms like these.

KM.RU: You can withstand the attacks of fans and suppress unreasonable ambitions. But how to keep yourself in good shape during grueling tours, when lack of sleep and overwork are simply inevitable?

- There is also such a shadow of doubt. I think all skills come with time. I think that the rehearsals that are yet to come will test me not only for the correctness of execution, but also, so to speak, for strength. Probably, everything ultimately depends on the training that I now need to undergo. It is not the gods who burn the pots - everything is achieved through labor. I intend to spend the remaining time before the tour to benefit myself and the group. I hope this will bear some fruit.

KM.RU: How did your colleagues in the group “Grand Courage” perceive your decision?

— The first person who found out that I would become the vocalist of “Aria” was the leader of the group “Gran-Courage”, guitarist Mikhail Bugaev. The fact is that at the time when I received the offer, the group had recorded almost all the instrumental parts for their new album, and all this was done under my voice. Leaving the guys at this stage without a vocalist would not be very nice. I asked Mikhail Bugaev if he wanted to change the vocalist. To this he answered me: “I don’t see anyone in the group except you, so we will wait until you can take part in the recording of the album.” My decision was made by the guys in two ways: on the one hand, joy for a comrade who was able to get into such an authoritative group, on the other, some sadness associated with the uncertainty in the development of our group. I think that the group “Grand Courage” will do well. Today, the guys and I remain great friends and musical like-minded people. We have the recording of our third album ahead, which we have been rehearsing throughout 2010. I think that people will definitely see us again at joint concerts.

KM.RU: How did your loved ones react to your new status?

— Many of my close people are far from musical activity. Therefore, everything here was measured according to the principle “so as not to lose.” My wife and I talked about this topic, and I am very glad that my arguments convinced her. Without her support it would have been very difficult to make the decision. Of course, she, like a real woman, is very worried about the fact that I have a long tour ahead of me and, as a result, I will be absent for a long time. But we are already quite old people and trust each other.

KM.RU: How did you manage to withstand the barrage of questions throughout the summer like: is it true that you became the vocalist of “Aria”?

“I had to be a diplomat.” I actively use the Internet, and all the hype, first of all, unfolded there. I have accounts on social networks, so I couldn’t find anything better than to post announcements there: “I do not comment on rumors about my possible move to Aria.” But this aroused additional interest. Even those people who might not have thought that it could be me, inevitably thought about it. In fact, this was not written by chance. Before I posted this status, I was actually bombarded with questions that were asked point-blank. I lied as best I could, because you can’t lie to your friends. I tried to avoid direct answers and asked counter questions like: “Guys, are you all in agreement there?” This had a deterrent effect on many, but I breathed a sigh of relief because I didn’t have to openly say “no.” But there were also those who turned out to be persistent in their questions. I think they will eventually understand that, after all, it was not my secret. Also, announcing your new status would be rude to Arthur. The Aria group deliberately did not announce a new vocalist ahead of time; I believe that this was the right and ethical thing to do. But "Aria" is so much the subject of everyone's attention that people went to great lengths. I have simply never seen such heated discussions on Internet portals. In my free time, of course, I’m interested in seeing what people write. Of course, I did not expect that there would be such a stir about the name of the vocalist. People, by some logical conclusions, actually brought me to the number of main contenders. When the name is announced, for many it will no longer be a revelation (laughs).

KM.RU: Vitaly Dubinin said that you brought about 20 “Aria” songs to the rehearsal, which you are ready to perform. Are there any compositions that you either don’t like or are technically difficult for you?

“When I brought this bunch of songs, the guys immediately began to restrain my ardor, saying that I didn’t come to the group for one day, and I would still have time to try to sing everything. In fact, taking into account my preferences, we compiled a program for the concert tour. Naturally, I physically didn’t manage to try all the songs, because I had a lot of other worries. Probably yes, there are some songs that I listened to less than others. But there are also favorite songs that I had to perform before. Considering that at the moment we are just starting rehearsals, I am not ready to say now whether there are any songs that I cannot sing. The main thing is that the group’s desire to play certain songs coincides with the public’s desire to listen to these songs.

KM.RU: What are your favorite “Aria” albums? For example, I, being an ardent fan of the group, always highlighted “Blood for Blood”.

“I also consider “Blood for Blood” one of the best. But I highlight not so much my favorite albums as my favorite songs. Of all the “Aria” records, “Generator of Evil” stands out quite seriously for me. First of all, I like it for its sound. It is somewhat different from what the group did before - the sound is more modern in my opinion. As for my favorite songs, I can certainly name things from the albums “Blood for Blood”, “Playing with Fire”, “Hero of Asphalt”. There were no passable songs in the latter; all tracks can be considered in demand and actively used in all the band’s tours. I also like songs from albums recorded with Artur Berkut.

Based on materials: www.km.ru

Aria is one of the most famous “heavy” bands in our country, which has long won the title of “veterans” of the rock scene. A huge number of fans of different ages - from young to old - come to their concerts, buy their CDs, and listen to their songs with pleasure. And again the group is preparing a new album called “Phoenix”. Now with a new vocalist - Mikhail Zhitnyakov, who replaced Arthur Berkut quite recently. He and Maxim Udalov answered questions from a Metalkings correspondent. So, let's begin.

Questions answered by: Mikhail Zhitnyakov and Maxim Udalov

S: I’ll start with the most pressing topic at the moment - the change of vocalist. How long ago did it become known that Arthur was leaving the group?

Maxim Udalov: I knew that Arthur was preparing something solo, his own. Everything was leading up to this, it is difficult to establish the date or period when it began. There is only the final point, which Arthur and I set at the end of July.

Mikhail Zhitnyakov: Information about Arthur’s departure from the group appeared literally the next day after talking with him

S: Were there many candidates considered for Arthur’s place?

Maxim Udalov: A little

S: By what criteria did you choose Mikhail Zhitnyakov?

Maxim Udalov: According to the criteria of professional suitability and brightness of talent

S: Aren’t you afraid that with the change of vocalist, the work of “Aria” will change and the fans will react negatively to it?

Mikhail Zhitnyakov: In my opinion, the work of the Aria group has not undergone any changes since the arrival of Arthur in 2002. This will not happen now. This is obvious, since the main authors never wrote songs for vocalists. The material for the new album was completely invented when Arthur was still working in the group.

Maxim Udalov: I can’t imagine how the work of “Aria” can change at all and what this “change” means. We have a huge creative and technical resource, but I hope for the understanding of our fans.

S: Strange question, but interesting. Are the musicians of the group “Aria” registered as “employees”? Will the work book have the entry “vocalist of the group Aria” or will the work be done under a contract? Under contract?

Maxim Udalov: Not that it’s strange, it’s not entirely correct. We are, of course, not Sharashka’s office, everything is officially registered with us...

Mikhail Zhitnyakov: This is a big trade secret (laughs).

S: Did you remain on good terms with Arthur? Will fans hear his voice and ever see him as a guest at Aria's concert?

Maxim Udalov: Yes, in normal relationships, no one slammed doors. I think they will! Time will show.

Mikhail Zhitnyakov: There are many such vocalists: K. Meine, D. Coverdale, F. Mercury, J. Lande, S. Tyler, D. Bon Jovi. Also domestic, but no less authoritative V. Kipelov, N. Noskov.

Maxim Udalov: Dickinson, if you choose one. Yes and for me he is the best

S: Do you still like what you do? Or has music become a business?

Maxim Udalov: I like it and want to go on tour quickly

Mikhail Zhitnyakov: For me, until recently, music was not a source of income at all. So I can say with confidence that I like it.

S: You have a new album “Phoenix” coming out. Usually, many groups delight fans first with a single and then with a video clip. You immediately shot the album. Why were such preliminary steps bypassed?

Mikhail Zhitnyakov: The latest release was already the single “Battlefield”, so the group presented one composition (“Fightings without rules”) on the radio before the album’s release. So everything is quite natural.

Maxim Udalov: We have a full-length album, why waste time on such trifles? Of course, the video clip is not a “trifle” in a certain sense, we can talk about this after the release of the album

S: What do you think about the situation with heavy music in Russia? Do you consider it unfavorable or favorable for the development of young teams?

Maxim Udalov: Heavy music is, first of all, the groups that exist in this genre; they need not be listed. Is it a lot or a little - as much as there is. I don’t think about whether the environment is favorable or not, because I do what I like.

Mikhail Zhitnyakov: You can complain as much as you like about the difficulties and unfavorable environment for the development of young teams, but everything is learned by comparison. Back in the 70s and 80s, the situation was no less simple. Problems associated with the Iron Curtain, the lack of apparatus and musical instruments and other difficulties turned music lessons into a real challenge. Today all these difficulties are behind us, but heavy music is not going through the best of times. So it’s not just this, time and attitudes towards heavy music are changing

S: I saw a lot of materials on the Internet about your new album. Almost everything has been told, there is nothing to even ask. However, tell us about the general concept and mood of the album? About the general idea that you put into it?

Mikhail Zhitnyakov: As far as I know, there is no concept that unites all the songs. In my opinion, it turned out to be a completely traditional album in the spirit of Aria.

Maxim Udalov: It will be heard soon. It cannot be described as “we worked hard” or “the concept is such and such.” We probably put our soul into it.

S: For many years now the group has kept itself within the strict boundaries of its style. Have you ever had any ideas to sound more extreme?

Maxim Udalov: To sound at the Western level is the task that we managed to solve.

S: And finally, wish the readers something Metalkings.

Mikhail Zhitnyakov: Most of all I would like to wish you a good mood and positivity, which are sometimes so lacking on the Internet. And listen to good music.