Vibrant traditional heavy metal is still alive - A review of Aria's Guest from the Kingdom of Shadows

In the thirty-fouth year of its career, Russian heavy metal veterans Ария continue to deliver the goods with this excellent new live record that features eighteen songs and a running time of two hours.

Гость из царства теней, which translates to Guest from the Kingdom of Shadows, convinces for multiple reasons. First of all, the sound is raw, energetic and direct and nothing seems to have been polished at all which makes for a vibrant atmosphere.

Secondly, the Moscovian crowd participates enthusiastically which can especially be heard in the rhythmic heavy metal gallop of ''Герой асфальта'' and the melodic anthem ''Улица роз''.

Thirdly, the band performed on a very high level on that night in late April of this year. The drumming is precise and tight. The bass guitar is domineering and vibrant and the stylistics are obviously inspired by legendary genre bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. The guitar work is equally outstanding both regarding the energetic riffs and the soulful solos recalling the likes of Accept and Saxon. The band member that really stands out however is the singer. Most metal bands that have parted ways with their most popular singer and brought in a younger replacement have failed miserably. This isn't the case here at all. Even though I admire the two former singers, the third singer to have recorded full length efforts with Aria might be the most versatile singer in band history. He doesn't only perform the new songs in his epic melodic style but also pulls off the classics so vibrantly that they are as good or even better than the original versions. In addition to this, his interactions with the crowd are pleasant and never get redundant. It's not a surprise that this new singer has even been welcomed very well by more traditionalist fans. It's difficult to imagine a better front man for a heavy metal band.

Fourthly, the set list of this concert is an excellent mixture of more recent material, obscure tunes from the middle years and classics from the early years. Instead of playing fan favourites like ''Игра с огнём'', ''Дай жару!'' or ''Кровь за кровь'', the band has introduced a few changes to the set list. The band offers the fast and gritty ''Тореро'' from its underrated debut album for example. The middle years are represented with the atmospheric ''Обман''. The new era also shines with songs like the brilliant heavy metal epic ''Проклятье морей'' which clocks in with twelve and a half minutes but never ever loses steam.

The only reason why this release didn't get a higher rating is that Ария has already released even more energetic live shows with set lists including even more songs that I admire. I can highly recommend В жёлтом круге арены which was recorded and released seven years ago. Instead of only releasing this new record in digital format for the supporters of a crowdfunding campaign, it would have also been amazing to offer a physical version in form of a double-disc to fans from all around the world.

In the end, Гость из царства теней shows a heavy metal band that has never slowed down and is still as convincing today as it was in its early years. Fans of old date and newcomers should like this release alike. It's also an excellent introduction to Russia's most important heavy metal band that should please fans of Accept, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon and Scorpions to only give five excellent references. Pick this vibrant live album up and let's cross our fingers that the band will come back to Canada one day to play more excellent concerts.

Final rating: 90%