Although regular sleep is essential to clear the brain and prepare for the new day, I also like to stay awake at night. It changes my perceptions. Also, it opens doors of inspiration and it feels my mind awake in a different way. Of course, I want to say that I don’t do this very often (and almost never lately) to keep my health, but when I was a teenager, I was sometimes awake at night. I was witnessing the free associations circulating in my imagination as if I was watching a colorful light show. Here, I discovered Russian rock songs on such a night.
What I did on -if I’m not mistaken- a March night in 2014 was simple. I searched YouTube by typing “russian rock”. The first song I came across was Slot’s Lego. When the strong sound combined with the music video reminiscent of the movie Saw, I found a new rock band to admire and entered a new world musically.
My ego wants more
It’s still not satisfied
I broke constructor legos
I broke
Лего (Lego)
Of course the rock and metal bands of Russia are not limited to what I wrote here, I only told what I listened to the most.
Слот (Slot)
In 2002, Igor “Cache” Lobanov and Sergey “ID” Bogolyubskiy founded this nu metal band. Since its inception, the group has recorded 11 studio albums, two remix albums, two mini-albums, two live DVDs, 24 singles and several soundtracks.
Indeed, this band is my first discovery and they have a special place for me. I even opened a fan page in the past. They are still actively making music.
We got caught in those nets of timetables
We see the life from the windows of waiting halls
How the trains are leaving on 3-4
Something has changed in the world
But without us.
We are the champions, we’ve reached the targets
Alas, we had no time to live.
Зал Ожидания (Waiting Hall) *translation source*
Daria “Nookie” Stavrovich
I wanted to mention Daria as a subtitle, because she has a solo project and her songs are very good. Lyrics, videos, the sound, everything. I shared the lyrics of the song Бойся (Be Afraid) before.
Born in 1986, Nookie has a strong and special voice that suits brutal vocals. Finally, a month ago, he released a song called Горячо (Fever).
If we believe in fortune’s smile
Even standing on the edge of cliff
Desperate and slightly mad
Then we’re really alive!
These eyes burns brighter than fire
And red light of last wagon!
It wasn’t in vain! It all wasn’t in vain.
And remember that one who risks is the one who drinks for liberty
Живы (Alive) *translation source*
МодеМ (ModeM)
ModeM, is the project of Cache, the lead singer and founder of Slot. I also like the work of this group, which produces songs with a slightly softer sound. Just a week ago they released an album called Сердцефикат (pronounced: serdtsefikat).
By the way, Tsoi in the title of the song below is Viktor Tsoi, the founder of the legendary Kino group.
War was already ended, and we didn’t know,
We believed, that we didn’t lost the youth,
Than was losing new trains.
Цой умер! (Tsoi is dead) *translation source*
End Zone
Let’s continue with Cache. End Zone is a progressive metal band formed by Cache in 1993 and featuring vocals. The guitarist of this band, which remained active until 2000, is Oleg Mishin, a member of Catharsis. Other members continue to make music in various bands today.
End Zone has released three almost-instrumental albums two years apart: First Bequest, Thalatta et Thanathos and Eclectica. While there are lyrics in the songs in the first and last albums, the second album is completely instrumental. I was quite impressed when I heard it. It transported me to other worlds; to mythological, poetic worlds where the boundaries of reality expand.
Microlife, the infinity one will never see with naked eye
I suppose someday we’ll disclose secret ways to the endlessness of molecular space
Raise a handful of sand in a desert immense
Count all grains in your hand
Maybe each grain of sand is an infinite universe!
Dual Infinity
Louna
Another group is Louna. The name of the group comes from the vocalist Lou, Lousine Gevorkian, who does a pretty good job with brutal vocals and has a cool style with her hair half shaved. They make alternative punk rock music.
This band, which released their first album “Make It Louder!” in 2010, may sound familiar to you. Especially if you are reading this blog. Yeah! You remembered correctly. In the review of the 1984, I shared the song that this band made for the book.
When we examine the lyrics, we see that they generally have a critical theme. The words that suggest taking action, questioning the system and not being a puppet of the media or the authorities are supported by harsh and generous guitar solos.
How to make the world better?
How to live without wars, where to get us the strength?
…
And there are again rockets in the news
Tears of children, the wave of terror
But to this question – why are all these?
Only silence… and no answer…
…
You close shitty eyes and ears
It’s solved and there isn’t a problem
You aren’t blind, do you hear my words?
If so, give an answer to the question “Why?”
Зачем? (Why?)
Елизиум (Elysium)
Elysium take their place in the music space with their cheerful sounds in ska-punk genre, as well as their lyrics about the joy of living. You can add energy to your life by listening to this band.
Founded in Nizhny Novgorod in 1995, Elysium has 19 albums that you can see, listen to and even download from here. Their last album came out four years ago. They still continue to make music and give concerts actively today. These days, hey are celebrating their 25th anniversary with a tour called “25 лет в космосе!” (25 years in space!)
Maybe everything is not so bad.
Maybe a miracle will happen,
Maybe one day you will visit emerald cities
And summer will cover you like a sudden wave
And will make you whirl to the rhythm of sunlight
Солнце (Sun)
Catharsis
Guitarist Igor Polakov and vocalist Sergey Bendrikov founded Catharsis, a symphonic metal band, in 1996. You can see the 14 albums of this group, which have epic and fantastic themes in their lyrics, here.
The time of losses is coming:
Kind angels, where are you now?
Violent demons, where are you now?
Rain and snowstorm are knocking at the door.
The time of losses races so fast,
I haven’t found yet
All that I must find,
Help me!
Время Потерь (Time of Losses)
Кино (Kino)
Here we come to the most valuable band on the list. Kino is a post punk rock band that left its mark on 80’s Russia. The following comment in Ekşi Sözlük describes it well: “Kino is a band that carries its own history and nostalgia with their music without needing any extra products, support, clips or materials. Nostalgia lovers or music lovers will love Kino too.”
Viktor Tsoy was born in 1962 in Leningrad. Before he died in a traffic accident on August 15, 1990, he filled lasting songs in his short 28-year life. Here are some lyrics from the famous song that I love, including cover by Polina Gagarina:
How many songs yet to write or sing are there?
Predict, the cuckoo, sing out.
Shall I dwell in town or the outskirts,
Lie like a stone or like a star blaze out?
Blaze out.
…
Who will take up now this abandoned trail?
All the strong and daring,
Perished in the fields of fresh green, in fight,
Few are left in unforgetting memory,
In sober mind, or power in hand, lined-up, lined-up.
Кукушка (The Cuckoo) *translation source*
Любе (Lyube)
Igor Matviyenko founded Lyube in 1989 in Lyubertsy. Then, they released their last album six years ago, and they has ever released ten albums.
The following song may sound very familiar to you:
Grey clouds over the sky
Nerves are tense like a guitar string
It’s raining from morning to night
Frozen time looks like eternity
We’re advancing on all the directions
Tanks, infantry, artillery fire
They kill us but we survive
Again, we throw ourselves into an attack
Давай за… (Here’s to…) *translation source*
DDT
Yuri Shevchuk formed DDT the rock band in 1980 in Ufa. The name of the group comes from the famous pesticide DDT. This band, which still makes music, is one of the most prolific bands of the last century. They have twenty-one albums in total. They released their last album this year.
Yuri Shevchuk is the only remaining original member since the beginning. Other members have changed.
White river, it’s drops (of memories) from past,
Ah, river, spread your hand like a wing
I sink in this life of trifles
You are a glass on the table, you are the sky in my arms.
Белая река (White River) *translation source*
t.A.T.u.
Finally, we come to Russia’s most sensational group. Taking the world by storm in the early 2000s, t.A.T.u. It consisted of two young girls named Yuliya and Lena. This band, which makes pop-rock music and whose song “All The Things She Said” is a hit, came to the fore with the lesbian-erotic image as the marketing strategy of their producers. However, this was fake.
The songs of this band, which disbanded in 2011, are quite energetic. In order to increase the tempo of the song, the lyrics are generally formed from short lyrics and repetitions. I looked through a few songs and couldn’t find anything worth quoting.
Thus, we have come to the end of another content. Happy and musical days until the next content!