Soviet Knights of the Power Metal Table: Круиз (Kruiz) and Август (Avgust)

First off we have Kruiz's 1987 metal debut LP "Kruiz-1" on Melodiya. Kruiz is probably one of the most known Russian metal bands outside of Russia. Their sound was pretty commercial heavy metal in the Iron Maiden meets Def Leppard tradition but it did not lapse into total "glam" Poison / Gorky Park territory. Lots of solos and guitar showmanship here, ("Intro") but some influences from faster bands like Helloween can be felt a little bit as well ("Last Dawn"). The band went on to release a 1988 full length in the same vein, which might be featured here later, as I don't currently own it. Valeri Gaina (center in picture), the founding member and vocalist of the band, also formed a Kruiz-like group in the mid-1990's entitled Gain, and it has released a CD in 1995 when he emigrated to Canada.

Intro
Distant Light
It Happened So
Last Dawn
Come With Us
Mirage
Time



Next up we have the debut LP from Август (Avgust) - "Демон" ("Demon"). Also released in 1987 on Melodiya. The band formed in 1983, but wasn't able to release a proper LP until the glastnost era due to cultural constraints of the Soviet system. There is an extensive blurb on the back of the LP stating that even though this is technically heavy metal, the band memebrs are "real" muscisians, with "real" musical conservatory educations, and that they are heavily influenced by Bach, Schubert and Hyden. Judging from the music this is pretty spot on. The LP has some nice atmospheric touches to it, conjuring cinematic mental images of knights, voyages and adventure, the music is rather beautiful and very, very Russian ("The Piano and the Sea" and "The Bell"). Every song is basically a ballad, which I generally don't like but unlike most other metal ballads, these are done by people who are actually good at writing and playing ballads. However, the tracks like "Ночь" ("Night"), and "Опасность" ("Danger") are fast numbers. Other recommended tracks: Demon, The Bell.

Демон (Demon)
Как Болит Голова (How My Head Aches)
Осень (Autumn)
Ночь (Night)
Судите Сами (Judge For Yourself)
Опасность (Danger)
Колокол (The Bell)
Рояль в Море (The Piano and the Sea)

*I've ommitted some of the longer, non-spectacular songs to save space.

V/A - Железный Марш I (Metal March I) (KTR, 1992)

Here is a compilation from 1992 called the Metal March 1. Unfortunately it features racist stalwarts Korrizia Metalla (omitted here, less racist, early material by this band will be featured later) and I think their "leader" runs or owns KTR. Those are the bad things. The good things are these tracks:
First off we have a sick track by the only band on this comp so far featured here, Shah. However here Shah definately show their adoration for Metallica, perhaps the memories of their 1991 Moscow show are still fresh in their minds. Next up is Zhelezny Potok or lron Stream, with a rather so-so track. Graveside bolt out some pummeling death while the track by Crownear is a good death/thrash mix. Trashmachina is thrash all the way, with a Nuclear Assault type number. The D.I.V. song could almost fall under the "ballad" category but it's one of the few ones that I'd say are good, check the metallica-like parts towards the end. Poltergeist is some quirky thrash and Krueger wrap up the album with a Kreator-like thrash number and you can't argue with a name like WELL OF PUS.

Shah - Eliminate
Iron Stream - Born To Die
Graveside - Darkness Light
Crownear - Mixed Blood
Trashmachina - Radioactive Conatmination
D.I.V. - Damned World
Poltergeist - DIY
Krueger - Well of Pus

Тяжелый День (The Heavy Day) - S/T (Melodiya,1989)

By 1989 thanks to President Gorbachev's "Glastnost" (relaxing of cencorship) the Soviet rock scene was flourishing and the Heavy Day (or the Hard Day) were one of the bigger acts of the time from Moscow. Self Titled, their second LP here is pure, well-played hard rock bordering on metal, or rather "hard n' heavy", a term used in Russia to describe hard rock of this variety which had more of an edge to it. As the blurb on the back of the jacket states this LP showcases the bands tried-and-true as well as mature material. The "mature" tracks being two very long and rather boring ballds on side A, not a very good start (of which I've spared us). However past those there is some rather upbeat hard rock here with a definite thrash and NWOBHM influence displayed esp. in songs like "Ogon" ("Fire") and "Begstvo Iz Nevedinia" ("Escape From Ignorance"). Apparently The Heavy Day are still active, probably playing the "mature" material that debuted here...

В Полет (Take Flight)
Огонь (Fire)
Бегство Из Неведения (Escape From Ignorance)
Сделай Вздох (Take a Breath)

Thrash then death, scouring youtube for more Russian metal material:

Here's a cool video from Shah, a band already familiar to us. The song "Save the Human Race" is from their second LP "Beware" (1989). While I like the cartoon graphics in it, the quality of the vid and the sound leave a lot to be desired (probably came off a 3rd generation dub bootleg) but check out the dude's sweet DRI shirt.

Then we have Graveside from Tula, a city known for its armories. Some gloomy sounding death here. We will hear more of Graveside when I upload the "Zhelezny Marsh 1" ("Metal March 1") compliation LP from 1992.


I got a bunch furniture delivered today...now all I have to do is assemble it...then go back and get a couple more peices that were out of stock.

Will be back shortly with more thrash....Until then:

I have been moving all week and just moved in and got connected to the internet. I still have virtually no furniture and nothing set up so mp3 updates will be back in a little while. Until then here's a hilarious video by one of USSR's great "export" rock bands - GORKY PARK (Gorky park, named after the writer Maksim Gorky is a big park in the center of Moscow, very popular with Moscovites). GP the band were a pretty slick glam/hair rock type band that sounded a lot like Poison, Leppard, etc. Apparently this video was a big hit on MTV in '89. All the devotchkas loved them. BANG! Promoting US/USSR peace and friendship. Note the balalaika.