Private cdrRoz Vitalis : The Threesunny Light Power (RU,2004)**°

The 24 minute title track by the group as a Trio is stylistic in between progressive, symphonic, acoustic, and in the first minutes because of the use of keyboards perhaps even Gothic.
We hear organ / keyboards/ flute/ female voice quietly and nicely and melodically building up. Then it becomes more melodic, in a much more symphonic way (perhaps it’s ok to describe it as being closest to Gentle Giant or something like that). The bells like sounds here and there would have been a bit nicer with real bells, but in general I must say all sounds, composition and the final execution is really good. This long track will receive airplay later. The second track is doomy, filmic, gothic thriller music. Strangely enough it says it is inspired by "the Mule" from Deep Purple, something which I didn't recognise at first. Also the last track starts with darker sounds, very filmic and with a descriptive atmosphere. With these elements I wondered whether the design of the written name of ‘Roz Vitalis’ not deliberately is, like various doom and metal groups, designed as fitting on a Satanistic or downwards pentangle structure, and wondered whether there was any angle hidden there, but there wasn't. In the contrary the symbol used under the name is an anchor, which brings the energy down to that point too, but for it is associated with a Christian cross it also works more, -Ivan says-, like "anchor in the sea of chaos" or something like that, which is in fact a different goal, also musically. To avoid the confusion I changed the colours of the group's name on the scanned cover into a lighter colour. In that way it confirms the idea of bringing the atmosphere up at the end, uplifting the anchor into a goal of the light side as a matter of speaking...The second half of this last instrumental is also more melodic, using keyboards mostly.

Although here the group is a keyboard duo, I can notice here at most that the group actually is lead as a one man band (Ivan Rozmainsky). I guess at least the last two tracks are mainly composed for and on keyboards. I personally still think that when a fuller group’s sound performance is being used (with more instruments, and more variation) the compositions come over better. I suggest an investment in a more multi-arranged project in the near future because perhaps then the potential comes over completely, with also even more variations in sounds he tries to achieve with the means he had here.

Some explanations by Ivan about the "The Threesunny Light" title and cover :

It refers to an oblique suggestion of "Trinitarian light". Three tulips on front-covers are the whole ("still life with tulips"), but, at the same time, each and every tulip is unique, original, has different length, and different "degree of openness". The idea is that simultaneous coexistence of diversity (plurality) and unity. All elements are the part of the whole, but each and every element does not loose its individuality, originality. This idea is reflected in the polyphonic character of 24-minute title-song, where all melodic lines are equally important and develop.  The “threesunny light power” is in some way inspired by some kind of combination of Christan and flower power hippie ideas, idealistically spoken.

The name Roz Vitalis itself comes from Latin meaning "The Living Water" (or, perhaps, "The Alive Water"), as the letting flow well in writing. It is indirectly inspired by Rozemainsky’s surname.

Earlier releases : "Per Crucem Ad Lucem" 2001, "Nice Edge" (EP) 2001, "L’Ascensione"  2002, "Painsadist"  (EP) 2003, "Lazarus" 2003, "The Threesunny Light Power" (EP) 2004

Info : http://www.realmusic.ru/roz_vitalis
& http://www.garageband.com/artist/roz_vitalis
contact : irozmain@yandex.ru
Other reviews : http://www.tandet.freeserve.co.uk/roz_vitalis.html
& http://www.cs.uu.nl/people/jur/reviews/painsadist.html
& http://www.manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/R/ROZ-VITALIS/roz-vitalis.html
Dutch review : http://www.progwereld.org/cd-recensies/rozvitalis.htm

RUSSIAN PSYCHEDELIC/PROGRESSIVE MUSIC & HEAVY ROCK
review page

Necrost ('99)
Trajectories ('01)
Agarta ('00/'03)
Alexander Kostarev Group ('03)
Roz Vitalis ('04,'04)
Azazello ('04)
Jesus With Me ('05)
Tumulus ('05)
Vespero ('09)


Boheme Music          Trajectories : Lost World (RU,2001)**°'

This CD by Trajectories didn’t reveal itself in just one listen. The first three tracks are medly-like symphonic compositions, with darker and more filmic passages. It has a classical composition with a symphonic rock evolution with a few avant-rock rhythmical changes, like on the first track, “Trajectory 1”, where the technical bass has a metal like darkness, with some fast violin, followed by the more quiet “Trajectory 2” to evolve again a more contemporary composition on “Trajectory 3” with some more peaceful flute passage in between more avant-rock rhythmic and melodic strangeness. “My Heart Was Crushed” after this is a song with comparable, more tempered arrangements.
The rest of the album will also go from a more demanding and darker avant-idea of a contemporary art-music compositions and contradicting harmonies, to more gentle territories, of songs or relieving passages with flute(s) and amplified guitar / keyboards, and with some progressive rock passages in between them.

Audio (in right order) : "Trajectory 1", "Trajectory 2", "Trajectory 3", "My Heart Was Crushed"
& "The Yesterday Night"
Homepage : http://www.lostworld.ru/english.html
Info on album : http://www.lostworld.ru/trdesce.html
Contact label : bmr@boheme.ru
German review : http://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/album_5816.html
Starless Rec.       Azazello : Seventh Heaven (RU,2004)**°°

This is in fact a symphonic rock release with often some metal bass making some people, including the group, to categorize it under progressive metal or who knows symphometal, but the ideas, structures and so on are mostly very much more like symphonic rock. The keyboards have mostly a leading role, with the electric guitars are always joining closely and accompanying simultaneously. This symphonic style is strongly structured. Just here and there the compositions have some words and singing. The 4th track, “The Mystery” is a bit folkier with different keyboards (harmonicasounds, piano,..) flute and acoustic guitars, with soft harmony vocals. Elsewhere one could categorize it under technical metal, but then I hear people saying who gives a fuck about categories? For me they might help to place an item without having to hear it first, with the additional help of the description of it. The electric fundament makes the melodic aspects sounding stronger. Rhythmically the metal influences as well, make the symphonic part more attractive. The title track is closest to hardrock in singing, and is also more melodically loaded compared to the other tracks.

Intro on group : http://www.gepr.net/ar.html#AZAZELLO or  http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAND.asp?band_id=1196
Listed here : http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=7297
Homepage (with bio,..): http://www.progressor.net/azazello/
Other reviews : http://www.progressor.net/review/azazello_2004.html
& http://www.dvsrecords.com/edgeoftime/e14/r14prog1.shtml#Azazello
French review : http://www.proglands.com/search_tool.php3?...
Italian review : http://www.movimentiprog.net/modules.php?...
Private cdr  Roz Vitalis : Das Licht Der Menschen (RU,2004)**°'

This entirely symphonic album in three parts has in fact two distinctive musical expressions.
When the (rather classical) composition is overloading or varying in its arrangements it is something which sounds like a combination of symphonic rock and a true classical orchestral piece, but expressed into a more primitive version because there simply isn’t a complete orchestra available, but in a way this still is recalling the essence of something much bigger and better arranged. There it gives the impression this composition deserves a big budget to work out better. Elsewhere there are more partly repetitive or at least slower evolving instrumentals and more improvisational passages of keyboards only. The three parts are played by keyboards mostly (except winds, programming) by Ivan Romainsky, Nadezhda Regentova and Vladimir Polyakov, with additional classical voices (with some electric guitar by Sergey Laskin on the first track).

Although the musical idea is to express the theological idea of trinity with references to the word ‘light’ in different languages (light, licht, luce, feny, svet), for me the world the most orchestral part expresses also could be about the Angelic world of Lucifer, who had its own world of creation of perfectionism and purity, with an inner light. This also contains the struggle which could lead him to fall down to earth as Satan, as a symbol of mankind that has to be born, reborn and return to the essence that has created this light in the first place (for instance with the opposite returning Light, Christ). The inner light of mankind (“Das Licht der Menschen) in this way is at first doomed and then destined at the same time. While this title is about man, the music, in its keyboard driven and sketched form of a bigger orchestral expression, for me shows more, in a similar form, something like a theological idea of the expression of this light essence, from before mankind has arrived on the scene, and which is about to appear. It is also in the angels’ vision that the thoughts beyond the principles of man’s inner guiding light are already shaped here, in theory and in energy. The first part especially works like this.

I do not know well yet, in a comparable way, how to place and experience the more improvisational keyboard parts. Some of them develop in a rather relaxed way, as if the idea of man’s light here still is in an unconscious state, not knowing yet of its essence of a struggling inner power, like for instance we have in a state like Paradise on earth, where man has a calm non-consciousness.

At some parts the music reminded me a bit of the keyboard-driven passages of the group Elend. Strange I think are a few occurring dissonants on the second track (on keyboards and voice). Last composition has a rather long evolution with the same kind of arrangements of musical themes, but there has been added thoroughly a rhythmic element, but without making a real clear conclusion.

Audio "Astral Mule","Destroying the paradiseof smiles"
Info : http://www.realmusic.ru/roz_vitalis & (Russian) http://www.spbclub.ru/bands/rozvit.html
& http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=8784
& http://music.download.com/roz_vitalis/3600-8627_32-100761575.html
contact : irozmain@yandex.ru
Review of similar but previous release : http://www.cs.uu.nl/people/jur/reviews/thethreesunnylightpower.html
German review : http://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/index.php?...
Spanish review : http://www.manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/R/...

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Psych-O-Path Rec.      Jesus With Me (RU/US,iss.2005)***°/****

Somewhere in the late 90’s 4 Russians met in NYC and formed this jam group for the higher spirit, following the road and/or spirits of Amon Düül I, Faust, Can, High Rise, Keiji Haino and Ya Ho Wha 13. And the music indeed has the mad and slightly fuzz, bass, noise wall psychedelic extremeness of some Japanese psych (Acid Temple, High Rise, White Heaven, some of Haino’s groups), and some spiritual musical breakthrough with the music focus of Ya Howha 13, some slightly chaotic trippy patterns of Amon Düül I, mixed with an improvisational focus of the more advanced experimental Kraut in general.
The guitars are penetrating in its improvising towards the infinite, with fuzz noise that keeps up the trippy effect, while the bass is almost swimming while moving-mountains-wise, with the drum in a freeformed slamming mania.

The music on “Silence in the Space of half an hour” in some way is structured and focused enough to its infinity it really works very well for me. The second track, “And they sang a new song” is even more in the direction of Acid Mother’s Temple, and creates a hypnotic wall drone of a jam, when psychedelic almost becomes like ambient punk. Near the end one of the members starts to scream in outrage. I like these tracks, but I'm not sure how many people would not simply die from a heart-attack when listening.

One day the group stopped playing together. This was one of the only recordings that the label luckily still managed to make. The group called these recordings “a love song”. Be warned.

Other review : http://www.tonevendor.com/item/18606
Label : http://www.psych-o-path.com/
Starless Rec.      Agarta : Under The Same Sky (RU,2000/2003)***°/****

It’s not so easy to categorize this quartet. They play with a very warm sound, with an always relaxed bass and jazzrock kind of subtle complex drums, with some keyboards and guitars. This combination builds the music up like symphonic pieces. But entirely different from what we’re used to hear with progressive/symphonic rock is that there seems to be no real “youngster” kind of desire or need to prove anything. The music instead is played with an attractive mature relaxedness and with a calm and moody evolution, even with some trippy fuzz guitar solo's.

PS. Agarta was an instrumental side-project of three members of Russian band Extrovert.

Audio : "Under The Same Sky","Seven Yards!", "Play On Words", "State Of Weightlessness", "The Autumn Garden","Rain Architecture","Detonator Of The Genius","Loneliness
or at http://songs2.allofmp3.com/mcatalog.shtml?group=6111&album=1
Label info : http://pfmusic.kulichki.net/starless/
German review : http://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/index.php?content=review&left=year&albumId=5864&year=2003
Extrovert homepage : http://stihiya.irkutsk.ru/?id=4&lng=e
Other review : http://www.dprp.net/reviews/200518.html#agarta
& http://www.themetallist.com/webzine/review_108_eng.html
Starless Rec.       Alexander Kostarev Group: Live@Inprog (RU,2003)***'

With a funny neo-barock intro of 9 seconds this well recorded concert recording starts. The group plays firstly some heavy and upbeat and energetic progressive instrumental rock with at least some small portion of showing jazzrock abilities and some rhythmic changes, and with a straight rocking drive with endless energy, played by some Hammond organ and other keyboards, lots of vibrant violin, fuzz guitars and some flute mostly. This is composed music with an improvisational kind of rock drive. This could easily have been a band from the 70’s –they sound a bit in the direction of a group like early New Trolls perhaps a bit wilder and not with a complete orchestra-.

These fine progrock days aren’t necessarily over and are wrongly understood when repeated. Here it comes over honestly and spontaneous. The non stop playing and the mad electric guitar solo’s with violin improvisations are just a few times slightly intellectual and demanding, but always in time the band and compositions pull both freaking members back into place. Also the time limitation perspectives give balance to the loaded tension and provide the listener enough time to breath.

There are also fuzz guitar freaks out on top of this rock drive. The electric bass is rhythmic on its own and the flute contribution is at times compelling. The combination of instruments works very well. “Oasis” is a quieter track, where the violinist plays tabla instead.

The last larger composition in 5 parts is a symphonic rock piece with more melodic and rhythmic changes, obvious in classical music, varying from true classical to other influences from rock. This composition has some demanding violin skills. We hear some more fast improvisations by flute, and there seems to be some use of bassoon, but one has to listen carefully to know just where. Also in this piece the music is very energetic and over the top, even more stimulated by the mad bass and the electric guitar wizardry, but the composition has some fewer quieter moments too.
A recommended release to fans of truthful progressive & symphonic rock.

Video : "Concerto Grosso #1, Part V - Presto, Finale"
Not included as audio on cd : "Concerto Grosso #2, Part V" (or here)
Info (Russian only): http://cosmusic.narod.ru/
& http://pfmusic.kulichki.net/starless/progday2003.htm
Other review : http://www.dprp.net/reviews/200516.html#kostarev
Label : http://pfmusic.kulichki.net/starless/ Contact : Paul Ertsev
Acid Folk, Art Folk, Psychfolk, Folkrock & sensitive s/sw  from Russia (3 pages)
you can find at http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/RU.html
Starless Rec.       Necrost : Concept of Noise (RU,1999)***'

I'm not so used to reviewing black metal, but I prefer to mention this fine black metal release with some "progressive" touch. A review might still be added later...

Audio : http://www.realmusic.ru/necrost/
Intro : http://coronach.com/bdetail.php?BId=12
Info on album : http://www.necrost.ru/
Russian page : http://musica.mustdie.ru/ru/band/necrost/
Review : http://www.dprp.net/reviews/200513.html#necrost
& http://www.proggnosis.com/MUSIC_DBCDInfoPF.asp?txtCDID=15196
German review : http://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/index.php?content=review&left=genre&albumId=5865&genre=27
Private cdr    Roz Vitalis : Enigmarden (RU,2005)**°'

Audio : "Destiny dethroned","The Battle", "Breath Of Leaves-Accepting Ground","Charitas",
"Gentle Spring of Spring","Precautionary Motive","Be Aware of Strangers"
Info : http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=8785
Webpage with audio of different albums : http://www.realmusic.ru/roz_vitalis
& http://music.download.com/roz_vitalis/3600-8627_32-100761575.html
(or http://netscape.com.com/roz_vitalis/3600-8627_32-100761575.html)
Italian review : http://www.arlequins.it/pagine/articoli/alfa/corpo.asp?ch=2972
Spanish review : http://www.manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/R/ROZ-VITALIS/enigmarden.html
Wroth Emitter        Tumulus : Winter Wood (RU,2004)***

Tumulus was formed in 1997 in the city of Yaroslavl (Russia) by the musicians of the Russian cult viking/doom metal band SCALD, which was disbanded due to the vocalist's death. The art of Tumulus is influenced by Slavic rituals and traditions as well as by the music of Amorphis, early 3rd and the Mortal, Bathory, Fates Warning, Yes, Jethro Tull, early Genesis, Pink Floyd, Russian folk bands Sedmaya Voda, Raznotravie, Kalinov Most, Inna Zhelannaya. The band sings in Russian, old Slavic and English. On both albums Marina Sokolova (folk band  Sedmaya Voda) took part as guest vocalist.

I had to lay this aside for a while because I hardly listen to any items with a metal influence, and I not only had to get used to this mood again, but also to the rather pushy vocals within this influence. Listening back at the right moment I must admit the group was rather successful in combining a style of progressive, folkrock, metal and even symphonic. The folkrock themes give additional arrangements, led by synthesizers which gives a more melodic effect, flutes, which are closest to the folk flavour, and which I like well, or guitars, which give a progressive effect, something which is equally successful. (-But there’s also sparse use of balalaika-). Sometimes the compositions are almost symphonic, at times in a rather gothic way, or influenced by symphonic metal with somewhat more of a progressive rock direction. Just here and there there’s a female vocalist participating. I think this is a good example if one is interested in the forementioned genres.

Audio :
"Odolen'-Trava","Yavir","Morok Uzrev","The Thread","Tam, gde zhili Sviristeli","Winter Wood"
Info on release : http://wroth-emitter.musica.mustdie.ru/tumulus_ww_en.htm
Homepage : www.tumulus-band.com Contact : tumulus@list.ru
Other reviews : http://dmme.net/reviews/reviews30.html#tumulus
& http://www.progressiverockbr.com/previews2005.htm
older Russian items on http://islandhippie.blogspot.com/
Wroth Emitter        Tumulus : Sredokresie (RU,2005)***°

On this new release the group sound has improved, because the general musical expression and balance has opened up even more.

There are now three different kinds of voices participating: male, female and just a bit of growling. The folk or high keyboard notes melodic element is also more present, giving the music a welcome lighter folk music feel against the bass of the metal part. Each instrument often gets its own layer within the development of the music, which I think is another strong element. Also the acoustic / keyboard / voice and electric elements are equally present, in nice cooperative communication with each other’s energy. The compositions are still rather symphonic, derived from ideas from progressive metal, folkrock, often still following a song evolution, but with a bit more room for instrumental improvisation (-the sixth track for instance has some dialogue between some acoustic instrument (?), flutes and jew’s harp-)... Well done.

Audio : "Uzorochinnik","Tower Of Birds","Severetreni"
Info : http://wroth-emitter.musica.mustdie.ru/tumulus_sredokresie_en.htm
(Russian info : http://musica.mustdie.ru/en/band/tumulus/11861/)
Homepage : www.tumulus-band.com
Other reviews : http://www.autopsykitchen.com/labeldistrocds-tu.html#t
Trail Rec.       Vespero : Foam (RU,2008)***

This is another, very trippy, rather trance inducing release of the Trail Records label. It is based upon slow repetitive rhythms, on congas and bass, cosmic keyboards and guitar textures, organic evolutions, which include a part which with a bit more echoes would have been psychedelic “dub” music. The female vocalist trips with the music as if it’s a Greek tragedy, improvising with her voice along parts of this trip. Some trips are taken in semi-Turkish modes. Psychedelia to become stoned upon.

Info & audio : http://cdbaby.com/cd/vespero & http://www.myspace.com/vesperohere
Intro artist : http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=3241
Label (with audio) : http://www.trailrecords.net/
Info & review : http://www.raig.ru/vespero.asp
Other reviews : http://www.aural-innovations.com/issues/issue40/vespero.html
& http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=173084
& http://www.dprp.net/reviews/200832.php#vespero
& http://www.unimeri.com/PsychotropicZone/...
& http://www.progressiveears.com/ASP/reviews.asp?albumID=4463&bhcp=1