Alisa (Russian: Алиса, lit.'Alice'[1]) is a Russian hard rock band.

Алиса
Alisa
L-R: Romanov, Kinchev, Samoylov, Levin
L-R: Romanov, Kinchev, Samoylov, Levin
Background information
Also known asAlisa
OriginLeningrad, Soviet Union
GenresNew wave, post-punk (early)
Hard rock, Christian rock (recent)
Years active1983-present
MembersKonstantin Kinchev
Petr Samoylov
Eugeny Levin
Igor Romanov [ru]
Andrey Vdovichenko
Dmitri Parfyonov
Past membersSvyatoslav Zadery [ru]
Mikhail Nefedov [ru]
Andrey Shatalin [ru]
Igor Chumychkin [ru]
WebsiteOfficial website

History

edit

Alisa was formed in November 1983 by bassist Svyatoslav Zadery. The band's name originated from Zadery's nickname. The band's lineup was finally completed in 1984, when new vocalist Kostya Kinchev (real name Konstantin Panfilov) and guitarist Petr Samoylov joined. Their debut album Energia was recorded between 1985 and 1986. Energia was released by the state publishing monopoly Melodiya in 1988.

The relations between Alisa's two leaders, Kinchev and Zadery, deteriorated, and Zadery left the band. This occurred just one hour before Alisa was to perform at a concert. Kino bassist Igor Tihomirov was asked to replace Zadery for one concert. Later, Zadery created his own band Nateh! (Russian: НАТЕ!, lit.'Take that!'). Zadery died on 6 May 2011 due to complications from a stroke at the age of 50.[2]

Alisa had a fan community called the Army of Alisa, known for their rough behaviour at concerts. It led to animosity between the band and Soviet officials. In 1987, the newspaper Smena accused Alisa's leader Kinchev of Nazi propaganda and worshiping Hitler. Kinchev filed a suit for calumny and moral damage compensation.

 
Alisa performing at Kavarna Rock Fest 2013

In 1988, guitarist Igor "Chuma" Chumychkin joined the band. This change was followed by the heavier sound of next two albums, Shabash and For those Who Fell From the Moon. Alisa toured through Europe and Israel together with fellow Russian heavy metal band Aria. The album Black Mark, released in 1994, was dedicated to the memory of Chuma, who committed suicide by jumping from a window.

In the new millennium, with albums such as Seychas Pozdnee Chem Ty Dumaesh (It is Later Than You Think, 2003) and Izgoy (Exile, 2005), Alisa's sound became heavier.

Alisa ranked among the top ten most popular Russian rock bands according to a Romir survey from 2005,[3] and ranked first in the list of the most influential Russian rock groups according to a Komsomolskaya Pravda readers' poll from 2004.[4]

In 2022, the band supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[5]

Lyrical themes

edit

Kinchev was baptized in 1992 after a series of concerts in Jerusalem. Although early Alisa lyrics were typical for Russian rock - social protest and rock 'n' roll hype - since the late 1990s their main theme has been ideas of Christianity, as well as Russian patriotism and nationalism.

Kinchev's fairly conservative religious-patriotic shift was viewed unfavourably by some old fans that liked Alisa for their original "rock" message.

Discography

edit

Studio albums

edit
Original title Transliterated Title Translation Year of release
Энергия Energiya Energy 1985
Блок Ада Blok Ada Block of Hell / Blockade 1987
Шестой Лесничий Shestoy Lesnichy Sixth Ranger 1989
Шабаш Shabash Sabbath 1991
Для Тех, Кто Свалился с Луны Dlya Tekh, Kto Svalilsya s Luny For Those Who Fell from the Moon 1993
Чёрная Метка Chyornaya Metka Black Mark 1994
Статья 206 часть 2 Statya 206 chast 2 Article 206 part 2 1994
Jazz Jazz Jazz 1996
Кривозеркалье Krivozerkalye Through the Crooked Glass 1997*
Дурень Duren' Stupid 1998
Солнцеворот Solntsevorot Solstice 2000
Танцевать Tantsevat' To Dance 2001
Сейчас Позднее, Чем Ты Думаешь Seychas Pozdnee, Chem Ty Dumayesh It Is Later Than You Think 2003
Изгой Izgoy Exile 2005
Стать Севера Stat Severa Grace of the North 2007
Пульс Хранителя Дверей Лабиринта Puls Khranitelya Dverey Labirinta The Pulse of Labyrinth's Doors Keeper 2008
Ъ Ъ (Tverdii Znak) Ъ ( The Hard Sign - Russian Letter) 2010
20.12 (Двадцать Двенадцать) 20.12 (Dvadtsat Dvenadtsat) 20.12 (Twenty Twelve) 2011
Саботаж Sabotazh Sabotage 2012
Цирк Tsirk Circus 2014
Эксцесс Ekstsess Excess 2016
Посолонь Posolon Sunwise 2019
Дудка Dudka Pipe 2022
  • Recorded with Svyatoslav Zadery on vocals, before Kinchev joined

Live albums

edit
Original title Translation Year and venue Year of release
Шабаш Sabbath 1990, Moscow, Luzhniki Stadium 1991
На Шаболовке At Shabolovka 1995, Moscow, Shabolovka 1995
Акустика часть 1 Acoustics vol.1 1988, Perm 1995
Акустика часть 2 Acoustics vol.2 1985, Leningrad 1997
Пляс Сибири на берегах Невы Dance of Siberia on Neva Shores 1997, St-Petersburg, Jubileiny 1998
Акустика часть 3 Acoustics vol.3 1988, Pskov 2000
Акустика часть 4 Acoustics vol.4 1986, Novosibirsk 2002
Мы Вместе XX лет We Are Together XX years 2003, St-Petersburg, Jubileiny 2005
Звезда по имени рок Star Called Rock 2005, Moscow, Luzhniki Stadium 2007

Compilation albums

edit
Original title Translation Year of release
Red Wave: 4 Underground Bands from the USSR 1986
Легенды Русского Рока Legends of Russian Rock 1997
Энциклопедия Русского Рока Encyclopedia of Russian Rock 2000
13 2003

Band members

edit

Current line up

edit

Former members

edit
  • Boris Borisov - vocals, saxophone (1983)
  • Lyudmila "Teri" Kolot - vocals (1986)
  • Svetoslav "Alisa" Zadery - bass, vocals (1983–1986)
  • Pavel "Pol Khan" Kondratenko - keyboards (1983–1988)
  • Alexander Zhuravlev - saxophone (1987–1988)
  • Igor "Chuma" Chumychkin - guitar (1988–1993)
  • Andrey Korolev - keyboards (1989–1993)
  • Alexander Ponomarev - guitar (1996–1998)
  • Andrey Shatalin - guitar (1983–1985, 1986-1988, 1989-2003)
  • Mikhail Nefedov - drums (1983–2003)
  • Igor Romanov - guitar (2003-2018)
  • Evgeniy Lyovin - guitar (1998-2019)

Timeline

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Russian analogue to the female name Alice
  2. ^ Святослав Задерий. Биографическая справка (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 7 May 2011.
  3. ^ "Ромир: Цифры и факты". Archived from the original on 2010-03-03. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  4. ^ Группы, которые изменили наш мирКомсомольская правда
  5. ^ Nemenov, Alexander (5 September 2022). "Российские власти профинансируют выставку о «подвигах» армии РФ в Украине и сборник фантастики про Донбасс". Meduza (in Russian).
edit