Сделано в России

Aria is probably the most influential Russian metal band of all time, and with good reason. They played a brand of metal that took heavy influence from Iron Maiden yet never veered into ripoff territory. Their music always had a soul that was all it's own, and they played with incredible skill and enthusiasm. All this comes through in an excellent way on their first live video "Made in Russia."

A bit of historical context is in order here. This video and the album version of it came out 5-6 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union which had plunged Russia into a social and economic depression which by most measures was twice as damaging as the Great Depression. Abject poverty, corruption, and open warfare between criminal gangs were the order of the day. In fact, just 3 days after the release of the album version of "Made in Russia," a gangland bombing in a Moscow cemetery killed 13 mourners, the latest bloody drama in a country that had become used to it.

It was against this backdrop that Aria performed in the 90s. They had always been firmly rooted in Russia, but were never a nationalistic band. Titling their live album/video "Made in Russia" was probably an homage to Deep Purple's "Made in Japan" more than anything else. Nevertheless, for a broken and dispirited nation that was increasingly being flooded with western media, stamping "Made in Russia" on the front of an album was a big deal.

Now, onto the actual content. This is really a straightforward, no frills, live video. A few 90's era graphics to set the stage and then the onslaught begins, and it doesn't relent until the very end.

At this point in their careers, Aria were at their peak, with a string of excellent albums behind them. The song selection on this performance has no lows, and never feels too long. All of the band members are on top of their game and only gain momentum as the performance goes on. Vocalist Valeri Kipelov in particular deserves praise. He gives 100% throughout and delivers his vocals with heart and precision.

The production isn't perfect. It is after all a VHS from the 90s. But it is more than enough to get the point across and give every instrument it's due. The same can be said for the visual quality of the video. Both the sound and audio, while being completely barebones, convey the energy of the band and the audience perfectly.

In short, what this album/video contains is an excellent metal band at their peak, playing their best songs, for an enthusiastic audience that was in desperate need for a release and a morale boost. It's what metal is all about and it's damn near perfect.