┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Aria - Chimera + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Aug-31-2008 Encoder......LAME 3.90 Modified ║ │ │║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2001 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........10 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.aria.ru ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Aria Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Chimera Label : Classic Compan ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ For the first time ARIA established itself as a ║ │ │║ band by releasing their first album in autumn of ║ │ │║ 1985. The album sounded very professional and ║ │ │║ looked like nothing performed in the USSR ║ │ │║ before. The title of the masterpiece was modest ║ │ │║ but pretentious - "Megalomania". ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The story began in 1984 when lead guitarist ║ │ │║ Vladimir Holstinin left a band called Alpha, ║ │ │║ which music was not tough enough for him. ║ │ │║ Wishing to form his on band he was soon followed ║ │ │║ by bass player Alik Granovsky and in the ║ │ │║ beginning of 1985 they meet Victor Vekshtein - ║ │ │║ the manager of VIA "Poyushiye Serdtsa" (VIA - ║ │ │║ the USSR-stage specific abbreviation standing ║ │ │║ for Vocal & Instrumental Ensemble; Poyushie ║ │ │║ Serdtsa can be translated as "Singing Hearts"). ║ │ │║ When Vekshtein heard first "metal" riffs he ║ │ │║ decided to became manager of the new band. ║ │ │║ Search for a vocalist didn't take much time. The ║ │ │║ first candidate was found suitable in all ║ │ │║ aspects. His name was Valery Kipelov. Shortly ║ │ │║ after that Vladimir Holstinin offers a name ARIA ║ │ │║ for the band. The name carried a kind of "hidden ║ │ │║ sense" cause all musicians and their fans began ║ │ │║ being called as "Arians" (aria nation people). ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ There were also other members taking part in the ║ │ │║ recording of "Megalomania": Alexander Lvov - ║ │ │║ drums and Kirill Pokrovsky - keyboards. Almost ║ │ │║ all songs were written by Holstinin and ║ │ │║ Granovsky; lyrics were by Alexander Elin. All ║ │ │║ guitars were recorded by Holstinin himself but ║ │ │║ there was a need for a second guitar player to ║ │ │║ perform gigs. So the second guitar maestro ║ │ │║ turned out to be Andrey Bolshakov. And the final ║ │ │║ line-up change was Igor Molchanov replacing ║ │ │║ Aleksander Lvov on drums. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Even with absolutely no promotion on TV or in ║ │ │║ any mass media "Megalomania" got a great ║ │ │║ response because every gig became almost ║ │ │║ underground since communists prohibited band ║ │ │║ name to be printed on posters. Scandal was round ║ │ │║ the corner and it burst out on the band's first ║ │ │║ gig in February 1986 organized by Dmitry ║ │ │║ Shavyrin, the music reviewer of "Moskovsky ║ │ │║ Komsomolets" ("Moscow member of Komsomol") ║ │ │║ newspaper. Audience divided in two parts: one ║ │ │║ talking that "It's a crime against art" and ║ │ │║ another saying "That's great!". The show ended ║ │ │║ up with 40 people taken away to the police ║ │ │║ station. And scandal raged on: at the ║ │ │║ "Rock-Panorama'86" festival someone threw water ║ │ │║ onto power cables right during the ARIA set that ║ │ │║ resulted in a short circuit and a 40-minutes ║ │ │║ break in a show. But those terrorists failed to ║ │ │║ achieve their goal cause nobody left the venue ║ │ │║ patiently waiting the band to continue. More of ║ │ │║ it - the band became laureates of the festival ║ │ │║ in spite of the terrible sound after diversion. ║ │ │║ Later "Melodiya" company released 2 LPs with a ║ │ │║ recording of that festival but throwing ARIA ║ │ │║ songs away. Some musicians taking part in that ║ │ │║ gig started saying that all ARIA is a shame upon ║ │ │║ all rock-music; well-known rock-poets refused to ║ │ │║ work with the band: "It's a dead work, all we ║ │ │║ write for you will go to nowhere. You will play ║ │ │║ for yourself and a couple of your friends only!" ║ │ │║ - they were saying to the band. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Meanwhile ARIA was rising up rapidly. Shortly ║ │ │║ after "Rock-Panorama'86" they went to Vilnius ║ │ │║ (Lithuania) to perform at "Lituanika-86" fest ║ │ │║ where they were granted for their professional ║ │ │║ work on stage. The popularity of the band those ║ │ │║ times was represented by sold out tickets, ║ │ │║ completely devastated venues and brawls in the ║ │ │║ streets after shows. Some regions were closed ║ │ │║ for the band to perform cause local authorities ║ │ │║ were very much afraid of destruction. All this ║ │ │║ was taken care of by the manager Victor ║ │ │║ Vekshtein who tried to calm the people down each ║ │ │║ time. But mass-media still had no reflection of ║ │ │║ the band, except for "Moskovsky Komsomolets" ║ │ │║ that frequently published its charts where ARIA ║ │ │║ was present in almost all categories. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ During the recording of the second album "Whom ║ │ │║ Are You With?" ARIA became suffering of musical ║ │ │║ differences. Bolshakov and Granovsky offered to ║ │ │║ switch to a more thrashy music but Holstinin and ║ │ │║ Kipelov remained with the band's own style. That ║ │ │║ led to split-up followed after very successful ║ │ │║ sequence of gigs at "Druzhba" venue in January, ║ │ │║ 1987. So four musicians (Andrey Bolshakov, Alik ║ │ │║ Granovsky, Kirill Pokrovsky and Igor Molchanov) ║ │ │║ left ARIA and were replaced by Sergey Mavrin ║ │ │║ (guitar), Maxim Udalov (drums) and Vitaly ║ │ │║ Dubinin (bass). ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Line-up change worked fine for ARIA cause after ║ │ │║ 6 months of hard rehearsals the band recorded ║ │ │║ one of their best albums "Hero Of Asphalt" which ║ │ │║ included such immortals as "Rose Street" and ║ │ │║ "Ballad About Ancient Russian Warrior". Unlike ║ │ │║ first two releases distributed only on tapes, ║ │ │║ "Hero Of Asphalt" was finally released on LPs by ║ │ │║ "Melodiya" company (but only in 1988). And there ║ │ │║ were some problems too: initially album title ║ │ │║ was "Serving Evil Force" but "Melodiya" changed ║ │ │║ it (without notifying the band) to "Hero Of A ║ │ │║ Speedway" which was also a mistake cause the ║ │ │║ real name of the track was "Hero Of Asphalt". ║ │ │║ Also name misprintings occurred: so Holstinin ║ │ │║ was named Valery and Udalov was claimed as ║ │ │║ Mikhail and "Striker" instead of drummer. ║ │ │║ Overall sound of LP was much worse than of the ║ │ │║ original studio tape. But all those troubles ║ │ │║ didn't make any problems for sales: album sold ║ │ │║ in more than 1,000,000 copies at first print and ║ │ │║ became collector's item in one year. Lyrics were ║ │ │║ written by Margarita Pushkina. One thing to ║ │ │║ notice is that ARIA received no royalties for ║ │ │║ the LP since communists considered as a great ║ │ │║ honour not to pay money to musicians. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ After recording ARIA began touring which lasted ║ │ │║ 2 years and was accompanied with tickets totally ║ │ │║ sold out, venues totally crushed and parties ║ │ │║ totally drunk out. In Vologda city during the ║ │ │║ performance of "Ballad About Ancient Russian ║ │ │║ Warrior" someone threw a chair leg and hit ║ │ │║ vocalist Kipelov to his head making him singing ║ │ │║ something really "censored" instead of some ║ │ │║ lyrics. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In the beginning of 1988 ARIA got invited to the ║ │ │║ Capital Radio fest to London. And troubles once ║ │ │║ again: all official letters from England were ║ │ │║ replied by Goskontsert (concert organizing ║ │ │║ company in the USSR) that "band cannot visit ║ │ │║ your fest". At the same time ARIA was still ║ │ │║ touring gathering stadiums so the whole ║ │ │║ situation seemed to be a kind of bullshit. ║ │ │║ Meanwhile Dmitry Mamatov and Sergey Komarov shot ║ │ │║ a video for "Rose Street" song which was shown ║ │ │║ on TV in "Muzykalny Lift" ("Musical Elevator") ║ │ │║ show. Filming of that video caused a lot of fans ║ │ │║ coming to see the process. Both the band and ║ │ │║ organizers didn't expect 7,000 people attacking ║ │ │║ them having absolutely no security. So after two ║ │ │║ hours of struggling with the crowd they escaped ║ │ │║ leaving various parts of their clothes and cars ║ │ │║ for souvenirs. And that sacrifice was honoured ║ │ │║ by video taking #1 in "Music Elevator" charts. ║ │ │║ In winter of the same year ARIA went to Berlin, ║ │ │║ Germany for their first abroad tour. The band ║ │ │║ made three gigs there and was invited to the ║ │ │║ "Days Of Wall" festival that took place in ║ │ │║ summer 1988. Right before ARIA to play announcer ║ │ │║ went out to the 120,000 audience and said: "And ║ │ │║ now - heavy metal from Moscow". Crowd began ║ │ │║ laughing cause they had recently seen "Avtograf" ║ │ │║ (Autograph) and "Mashina Vremeny" (Time Machine) ║ │ │║ and were expecting a kind of that again. The ║ │ │║ band name and intro of "Santa Lucia" by ║ │ │║ Robertino Loretti just make them laugh louderà ║ │ │║ But already after the first song audience ║ │ │║ changed its mind. When the show was over ║ │ │║ security head came up to the band and said: ║ │ │║ "Yesterday on TV I've seen the signing of ║ │ │║ mid-range missiles elimination agreement and ║ │ │║ today I saw Russian Iron Maiden. It seems that ║ │ │║ Perestroyka really comes true in your country". ║ │ │║ There were as much alcohol drunk for ║ │ │║ international friendship that nite that nobody ║ │ │║ could hardly say anything clever until the band ║ │ │║ returned to Moscow. It could result in custom ║ │ │║ service problems in Poland where the band was ║ │ │║ asked "Who are you?" and replied "We are ║ │ │║ Arians!". ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ It's interesting that all next tours to Germany ║ │ │║ were organized by ARIA members themselves ║ │ │║ without any help of their manager. Conflict ║ │ │║ closed up. Victor Vekshtein who actually helped ║ │ │║ the band to live through all troubles began ║ │ │║ saying that "The band's music became out of ║ │ │║ fashion and there is no sense to work over the ║ │ │║ new album; we need to change music". That ║ │ │║ resulted in Maxim Udalov quitting the band in ║ │ │║ summer 1988 after tour in Bulgaria. His place ║ │ │║ was taken by Alexander Manyakin, who shocked the ║ │ │║ band at audition by playing all songs without ║ │ │║ any rehearsals. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In November of 1988 ARIA decided to quit ║ │ │║ relations with their manager Victor Vekshtein ║ │ │║ and then started recording of their new ║ │ │║ masterpiece "Play With Fire" songs for which ║ │ │║ were ready long ago. The new manager Yury ║ │ │║ Fishkin was a friend of Dubinin and Holstinin ║ │ │║ who helped them during their Volshebnye Sumerki ║ │ │║ (Magic Twilight) band era. The new album was ║ │ │║ released in spring of 1989. Music became more ║ │ │║ aggressive and dynamic. All music was composed ║ │ │║ by Holstinin and Dubinin and lyrics written by ║ │ │║ Margarita Pushkina. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ After the new one released the band shot a video ║ │ │║ for "Dai Zharu!" (title that could be ║ │ │║ approximately translated as "Kick Some Ass!") ║ │ │║ directed by Evgeny Pahomenkov and went to a long ║ │ │║ Germany tour. There on "Rock Summer" fest German ║ │ │║ TV decided to shoot ARIA gig and pay them for it ║ │ │║ like it is always made in the whole world. But ║ │ │║ when band members began dividing 12,000 DM all ║ │ │║ the money were taken by a suddenly arrived ║ │ │║ Goskontsert representative which slightly upset ║ │ │║ the band. Nevertheless the whole tour (through ║ │ │║ four cities) was very successful. In spring of ║ │ │║ 1990 Dubinin and Mavrin got signed by some ║ │ │║ German label to help one female-singer with ║ │ │║ recording left the band. So the replacements ║ │ │║ were found in Dmitry Gorbatikov (guitar, ║ │ │║ ex-Galaktika, ex-Krasnaya Ploshad) and Alexey ║ │ │║ Bulkin (bass) who became a friend of the band ║ │ │║ during ARIA's visit to Saransk city in 1986. ║ │ │║ After month of rehearsals ARIA continued touring ║ │ │║ and drinking. And guitarist Gorbatikov always ║ │ │║ confuses other members by being involved in ║ │ │║ various stories with women, truly justifying his ║ │ │║ nickname "loverboy". ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In August of 1990 being tired of separation ║ │ │║ Dubinin and Mavrin returned to the band and ARIA ║ │ │║ played 5 years anniversary celebration gig in DK ║ │ │║ ZIL venue in October of 1990. The new album ║ │ │║ "Blood For Blood" was released in autumn '91 and ║ │ │║ showed the new sounding of the band using guitar ║ │ │║ synth and acoustic guitars. Lyrics (again by ║ │ │║ Margarita Pushkina) as always continued eternal ║ │ │║ struggle of Good and Evil. Album was released on ║ │ │║ Syntez Records but quality of production and ║ │ │║ printing was even worse than of Melodiya one. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ From 1991 to 1993 ARIA wildly crushed hotel ║ │ │║ rooms Russia-wide beating ROLLING STONES record ║ │ │║ by throwing TV set out of the window twice while ║ │ │║ gigging in Tomsk. In 1993 the band lowered its ║ │ │║ concert activity as a result of overall chaos in ║ │ │║ the whole country. At the same time ARIA Records ║ │ │║ studio was born. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In 1993 ARIA signed a 5-years contract with ║ │ │║ MOROZ Records. And the results followed almost ║ │ │║ immediately: all band's 5 albums were released ║ │ │║ on CDs, including not released before ║ │ │║ "Megalomania" and "Whom Are You With?", in ║ │ │║ summer of 1994 and the band began recording of ║ │ │║ their sixth album. In September having recorded ║ │ │║ drum tracks ARIA went to Germany for the fourth ║ │ │║ time gigging in seven cities and at legendary ║ │ │║ Berlin Hard Rock Cafe. After the show members ║ │ │║ were informed that they wouldn't get paid since ║ │ │║ all the money were spent to organize tour. ║ │ │║ Scandal resulted vocalist Valery Kipelov (worked ║ │ │║ in a band for 10 years) to leave the band. After ║ │ │║ returning to Moscow he didn't show himself in ║ │ │║ the studio and soon was rumored to be gigging ║ │ │║ with MASTER. Being shocked by such kinda ║ │ │║ disaster the left members began searching for ║ │ │║ the new frontman recording instrumental tracks ║ │ │║ at the same time. And a new impact struck our ║ │ │║ heroes: guitarist Sergey Mavrin became upset by ║ │ │║ the whole depressive situation and said he had ║ │ │║ lost his faith. Then he leftà All changes nearly ║ │ │║ caused the band being dropped by MOROZ Records. ║ │ │║ But help came in the person of Sergey Terentyev ║ │ │║ (guitar). He recorded his own solo album at ARIA ║ │ │║ Studio in summer '94 and remained there drinking ║ │ │║ his beer and looking at the remains of the band. ║ │ │║ Having fed up by looking he offered his hand as ║ │ │║ a session musician, he then played his solos and ║ │ │║ continued drinking his beer as already a full ║ │ │║ member of ARIA. But the vocalist problem was ║ │ │║ unsolved still. Then Alexander Morozov stepped ║ │ │║ into and told the band that he would never ║ │ │║ release anything without Kipelov doing vocals. ║ │ │║ So Kipelov returned and did all vocals for the ║ │ │║ new "Night Is Shorter Than Day" album which saw ║ │ │║ the light in the end of 1995. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Besides traditional ARIA hits like "Spirit Of ║ │ │║ War" and "Angels' Dust" music contained more ║ │ │║ major moods and the lyrics written by Margarita ║ │ │║ Pushkina differed a lot from the early ones. ║ │ │║ They became less pathetic and there were such ║ │ │║ non-ARIA-like songs like, for example "Go Away ║ │ │║ And Don't Come Back". ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ To promote the new one the video for "Take My ║ │ │║ Heart" was shot by Dmitry Velikanov. A new ║ │ │║ manager Sergey Zadora gathered a strong ║ │ │║ administrative group and organized many gigs in ║ │ │║ Moscow and other cities. During that tour the ║ │ │║ band celebrated its 10 years anniversary and ║ │ │║ releases 2CD-Live album "Made In Russia" which ║ │ │║ unexpectedly took high positions in various ║ │ │║ charts. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In the beginning of 1997 "MOROZ Records" ║ │ │║ proposes musiciants to release the best songs ║ │ │║ from all the band's history in the serie ║ │ │║ "Russian Rock Legends", which this company ║ │ │║ releases. The album included such songs as "Rose ║ │ │║ Street", "Hero Of Asphalt" etc. The song "Give ║ │ │║ Me A Hand", which was previously released only ║ │ │║ in first MC-version of "Hero Of Asphalt" album ║ │ │║ became a bonus-track. Also the album included a ║ │ │║ booklet with full history of the band, ║ │ │║ previously unreleased photos. The album was ║ │ │║ remastered. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In 1997 Summer "arians" dispersed to studios and ║ │ │║ "independently" created some (actually, there ║ │ │║ are two of them) solo projects. Vitaly Dubinin ║ │ │║ and Vladimir Holstinin took part in one of them; ║ │ │║ another one have been recorded by Valery Kipelov ║ │ │║ and Aria's ex-guitar player Sergei Mavrin. ║ │ │║ "Avaria" and "Dark Age", as these projects were ║ │ │║ named, have been released during the same year's ║ │ │║ winter and have shown many-sided musiciants' ║ │ │║ points of view, but team-working was going on ║ │ │║ and during half of year since 1997 Summer 1997 ║ │ │║ at "ARIA Records" studio new Aria's masterpiece ║ │ │║ was created. After long time of doubts about the ║ │ │║ album's name musiciants stopped on the term ║ │ │║ "Generator Of Evil". Before releasing the album ║ │ │║ band is going to visit large number of cities in ║ │ │║ Russia and ex-USSR; large presentation is ║ │ │║ planned in Moscow after it. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In the middle of '99th ARIA have released a ║ │ │║ mini-CD "Tribute To Harley Davidson", which ║ │ │║ contained both old songs and two cover-versions. ║ │ │║ As a New Year present to fans, in the end of the ║ │ │║ year ARIA have released also a compilation "2000 ║ │ │║ And One Night" - album contained old ballads by ║ │ │║ the band and two brand-new songs. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The year of 2000 saluted Aria's 15th ║ │ │║ anniversary. The band is mostly famous by its ║ │ │║ shows, and it was the reason for their ║ │ │║ anniversary tour to be such a great present to ║ │ │║ the band's fans. That was the first time when a ║ │ │║ headliner of the tour was a Russian band and a ║ │ │║ legendary German band RAGE was a guest-star. ║ │ │║ Each of the bands has played great live sets ║ │ │║ about 90 minutes long. In Moscow a gig had taken ║ │ │║ place at Ice Palace CSKA which was overcrowded. ║ │ │║ Now, there is no further doubt that Russian ║ │ │║ heavy-metal is same-level comparable to the ║ │ │║ Western bands. The autumn of 2000 had brought ║ │ │║ another great show of Aria - now in Palace of ║ │ │║ sports LUZHNIKI. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Less than in half-a year after the triumphal ║ │ │║ Aria's shows dedicated to the 15th anniversary ║ │ │║ since the release of the first band's album, ║ │ │║ Moscow and Saint Petersburg were shaken as the ║ │ │║ "Arians" have presented their next album with ║ │ │║ the mystical name "Chimera" (and this time it ║ │ │║ was a studio album). Though this time the ║ │ │║ information with many details as to the new ║ │ │║ masterpiece of the oldest and, for certain, the ║ │ │║ leading Russian heavy-metal band began to appear ║ │ │║ in press some months prior to the end of studio ║ │ │║ work, it hasn't reduce the impatience of the ║ │ │║ fans, waiting for the album to come out. As ║ │ │║ "Aria" is not the kind of band to disappoint ║ │ │║ even the most demanding fans. "Chimera" did not ║ │ │║ become an exception... ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ None can say that Aria's manner is being changed ║ │ │║ vastly in the last years - well, the band are ║ │ │║ what they've ever been - but the "arians" really ║ │ │║ adore changing the sound, the arrangements and a ║ │ │║ rider of some other little improvements, and the ║ │ │║ band never miss a possibility to try something ║ │ │║ new. In case with "Chimera" album, the metal ║ │ │║ legend Udo Dirkschneider's (the ex-member of the ║ │ │║ great German metal band Accept and now - the ║ │ │║ leader of U.D.O.) participation in recording of ║ │ │║ one of the songs became such a feature. To say ║ │ │║ the truth, you won't hear the famous burger's ║ │ │║ "ear-tearing" voice - it's sad, but the ║ │ │║ provisions of the contract sometimes don't allow ║ │ │║ the use of the musician's own voice and even ║ │ │║ name, but you can see Udo's face in the video ║ │ │║ for the song "Calm", where he rests and works ║ │ │║ together with "Aria", drinks a bit and tries to ║ │ │║ pronounce Russian words about sailors-cannibals, ║ │ │║ unknown to him. By the way, last time on ║ │ │║ "Generator of Evil" the "arians" also let a ║ │ │║ stranger to be the vocalist, but it was a ║ │ │║ well-known stranger - it was a bass-guitarist ║ │ │║ Vitaly Dubinin, who sang one whole song. ║ │ │║ Besides, this was unusual for Aria's style ║ │ │║ ballad. In "Chimera" the musicians decided to ║ │ │║ experiment with overall control over the album's ║ │ │║ creation - well, it's better to say "the total ║ │ │║ absence of control". "This album was recorded ║ │ │║ without any producer's intervention, even in ║ │ │║ view of that we ourselves were the producers, - ║ │ │║ explains Vladimir Holstinin. - I mean, each ║ │ │║ musician worked only on his own songs, including ║ │ │║ arrangements and lyrics ideas. Also there was no ║ │ │║ distribution of roles in studio - Terentiev was ║ │ │║ recording all the guitars only for his songs, ║ │ │║ and I was only for mine." ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ From the date of the new album's release the ║ │ │║ band had some performances - in April there was ║ │ │║ a tour over the whole country along with U.D.O., ║ │ │║ the band of legendary German rocker Udo ║ │ │║ Dirkschneider, and in August the band had ║ │ │║ participated in the biggest music festival of ║ │ │║ 2001 Summer "Nashestvie" in Ramenki (not far ║ │ │║ from Moscow). The gig was seen not only by 100 ║ │ │║ 000 fans, who were right on the field, but also ║ │ │║ by millions of TV-watchers, who were able to see ║ │ │║ it on TV6 channel! Of course, ARIA and DDT, as ║ │ │║ the headliners of the festival were the most ║ │ │║ interesting for the public and mass-media. - DDT ║ │ │║ played their set in the end of the festival and ║ │ │║ Aria had played in the end of the first day. The ║ │ │║ band was well-prepared for this performance. ║ │ │║ ARIA's appearance on the stage was accompanied ║ │ │║ by the great lighting and pyrotechnic effects. ║ │ │║ But participation in the show of the musicians ║ │ │║ of International symphonic orchestra "Globalis" ║ │ │║ became the real the drawing card of the show. ║ │ │║ Concurring with the orchestra ARIA played "Lost ║ │ │║ Paradise", "Splinter of Ice" and "Torero". ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In the end of September ARIA participated in ║ │ │║ another festival - "Modernizatsiya" in ║ │ │║ St.Petersburg. In November the band headed to ║ │ │║ "shake mountain of Ural and to kindle by it's ║ │ │║ flaming music the snow of Siberia", as it had ║ │ │║ been said in advertising on "Nashe Radio" (the ║ │ │║ informational sponsor of the tour). But the main ║ │ │║ event of the year 2001 took place on December ║ │ │║ 1st in Moscow. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The performance that took place in the Palace of ║ │ │║ Sports Luzhniki on that day (well, actually - on ║ │ │║ that evening) became the most brilliant and ║ │ │║ memory-holding music event of the year (at least ║ │ │║ - on the Russian rock stage) seemingly not only ║ │ │║ for the band's fans, but also for the "arians" ║ │ │║ themselves. The promoters were working hard to ║ │ │║ convince the administration, security and ║ │ │║ fire-protection service of Luzhniki that ║ │ │║ dropping even the least element of the show will ║ │ │║ break the whole concept. Negotiations and ║ │ │║ approvals of the scene's design and the show's ║ │ │║ script took not less than a month, but the show ║ │ │║ was worth it! Generally, the preparation to the ║ │ │║ show took almost three months as the discussions ║ │ │║ of the first ideas have started during the trip ║ │ │║ to St.Petersburg for "Modernizatsiya". ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ On December 1, 2001 more than ten thousand fans, ║ │ │║ who filled up the Palace of Sports Luzhniki, as ║ │ │║ well as millions of TV6-channel watchers (the ║ │ │║ channel had broadcasted the TV-version of this ║ │ │║ performance on the same evening) witnessed the ║ │ │║ real brilliant show. "ARIA" was the first band ║ │ │║ in our country, who was took the courage to ║ │ │║ build the stage in the center of the hall, like ║ │ │║ Paul McCartney and Metallica did before. This ║ │ │║ allowed to use a huge number of lighting, laser ║ │ │║ and pyrotechnic effects including live fire and ║ │ │║ also to add other tints to their music by ║ │ │║ inviting two percussionists, three ║ │ │║ back-vocalists, quartet of cellos and even a ║ │ │║ choir! The "Arians" put their fans in ecstasy ║ │ │║ once again and shocked "next-to-music" public, ║ │ │║ who, considering that nobody in Russia had done ║ │ │║ anything like this, were comparing this ║ │ │║ performance with fantastic shows of Metallica of ║ │ │║ the beginning of 90-s and to the fire show of ║ │ │║ "German steelmakers" - RAMMSTEIN (who played in ║ │ │║ Moscow not long ago). ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In the beginning of November 2002 Aria declared ║ │ │║ the new line-up: on the drums now sits Maxim ║ │ │║ Udalov (he's been playing in Aria already once), ║ │ │║ the new guitarist becomes Sergey Popov ║ │ │║ (ex-"Master"), new vocalist - Artur Berkut ║ │ │║ (ex-"Autograph"). Musicians at once started ║ │ │║ working on a new album. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The ninth Aria studio album "Baptizing By Fire" ║ │ │║ was released on May, 29. The next page of ║ │ │║ history of band "ARIA" has opened. Soon after ║ │ │║ the album was released, the band goes touring ║ │ │║ with the new program; meanwhile, a new double-CD ║ │ │║ live album is released. The album features the ║ │ │║ songs from Aria's show in Luzhniki. The new ║ │ │║ release is entitled "Searching For A New ║ │ │║ Victim..." Those are words taken from Aria's ║ │ │║ song "Vampire" from the Chimera album. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In 2004 Aria released another live double CD and ║ │ │║ DVD called "Live Fire" which was also recorded ║ │ │║ in the above-mentioned venue Luzhniki. A little ║ │ │║ later Aria became winners in the "Concert of the ║ │ │║ Year" nomination and play at Kremlin Palace in ║ │ │║ Moscow. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In 2005 Aria celebrated it's 20th anniversary. ║ │ │║ On this occasion they went on a big tour, for ║ │ │║ which they recorded a new version of their song ║ │ │║ "Will And Reason." To do this Aria invited a few ║ │ │║ of their friends, such as Gleb Samoilov, Vadim ║ │ │║ Samoilov, Constantine Kinchev, Yuriy Shevchuk, ║ │ │║ Viacheslav Butusov, and also two former Aria's ║ │ │║ guitarists, Sergej Mavrin Mavrin and Andrei ║ │ │║ Bolshakov. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In summer 2006, the band released a new single ║ │ │║ "Alien" featuring a a self-titled song to be ║ │ │║ included in the new album. After that Aria went ║ │ │║ touring taking the name of their yet unreleased ║ │ │║ new album as a name for their tour. The tenth ║ │ │║ studio album "Armageddon" was released on ║ │ │║ September 15 the same year. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The Armageddon tour was over in April of 2007, ║ │ │║ after which Aria won the Fuzz magazine award as ║ │ │║ the best live band of 2006. A month later ║ │ │║ another set of live double CD and DVD "Dance of ║ │ │║ Hell" hit the stores. In autumn the band went on ║ │ │║ another tour timed for the twentieth anniversary ║ │ │║ of their album "Hero of Asphalt." ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Source: Aria official website ║ │ │║ [http://www.aria.ru/] ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 01 - Chimera [04:40] │ │ 02 - Heaven Will Find You [05:32] │ │ 03 - I┤m Not Mad [06:25] │ │ 04 - Vampire [05:30] │ │ 05 - Burning Arrow [04:11] │ │ 06 - Calm [05:36] │ │ 07 - Way To Nowhere [05:29] │ │ 08 - The Raven [05:45] │ │ 09 - Splinter Of Ice [05:26] │ │ 10 - They┤ll Give You A Sign [08:54] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [57:28 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘