Aria is the oldest and most successful heavy metal band in Russia. She started as a student collective, changed more than one line-up of musicians and spawned a whole family of similar projects of former participants.
Group history and line-up change
"Aria" is rooted in the youth of its future participants, when they were students of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute. The trial collective, created by the future musicians of "Aria", did not live long and soon fell apart. When, finally, Vladimir Kholstinin and Alik Granovsky, under the strict guidance of Viktor Vekstein, formed their own collective, luring Kipelov, Lvov and Pokrovsky to themselves, and recorded their first studio album "Megalomania" in 1985, then the legendary group was born.
A little later, Bolshakov came to Aria, and Molchanov replaced Lvov on drums. At first, the group led a somewhat clandestine lifestyle, but in 1986, active tours began and the recording of a new album "Who are you with?" in the current composition. The group is gaining popularity, conquering the press and radio.
By the next year, the composition changes again. Vitaly Dubinin and Maxim Udalov, the new drummer of the group, join the ranks of the "Aryans". Also Mavrin comes. The group records the vinyl record "Hero of Asphalt".
In 1988, the shooting of the first video for "Arias" for the song "Streets of Roses" was made. Before recording the next album, the collective goes on large-scale foreign tours to Germany and Bulgaria. The conflict within the band is escalating due to the musicians' dissatisfaction with the policy of Viktor Vekstein. As a result, the group is forced to part with its manager. In the composition of "Aria" transformations are also taking place, and the team is recording their fourth album with a new drummer - Alexander Manyakin.
Dubinin and Mavrin leave for Germany for several months, and during this time the group is successfully touring with session musicians. Later, the result of the painstaking work of the "Aryans" became the most famous albums: "Blood for Blood" in 1991, then - "Night is shorter than a day" in 1993.
1994 was marked for Aria by a major contract with Moroz Records. Old albums of the group are being reissued. In 1996 the first live album "Arias" was released.
The next year the musicians are engaged in solo projects. In 1998 the group gathered again to record the next disc - "Generator of Evil". In 1999, the collective recorded the best ballads and covers in a single collection "2000 and One Night".
The beginning of the new century "Aria" meets with the new album "Chimera" of 2001, as well as the first performance at the festival "Invasion". Valery Kipelov leaves the group together with Mavrin and Manyakin. Further work takes place in the following composition: Dubinin, Kholstinin, Berkut, Udalov and Popov.
By 2006, "Aria" is gaining more and more popularity, releasing singles and giving numerous concerts. The group's next album, "Armageddon", is released.
In 2008, for a large-scale tour dedicated to the twentieth anniversary of the album "Hero of Asphalt", the team unites with Kipelov and Mavrin. It was a landmark event for both groups. In 2010 "Aria" gives a lot of big concerts in different cities of Russia.
In 2011, a new vocalist joins the group, which is Mikhail Zhitnyakov. With this composition, the group records its eleventh album - "Phoenix", continuing to exist to this day, delighting its fans.
Contribution to the development of Russian rock music
Aria is a unique team with a long history. This group is one of the ten most popular Russian rock bands. She made a significant contribution to the development of the musical direction of heavy metal in its traditional, English manner.
Former members of the group have created their own musical projects and are successfully engaged in creativity in a similar direction. These are such groups as: "Kipelov", "Mavrin", "Master", "Artur Berkut" and "Artery".
