Aria – Curse of the Seas

Behold, child of the night. Here we have one of Heavy Metal living legends. One of the many unsung heroes that have struggled through time and space to reach modernity almost unharmed. We’re talking about Aria, a band that was formed in 1985 in Moscow. Yeah, Aria are of the first Heavy Metal bands to be born under the watch of the Soviet rule. If you think our lives of western heavy metallers are difficult, can you image theirs in a place where all western cultural contribution was strictly prohibited. Ah, Heavy Metal was not only prohibited, there was a barricade against it. The simple use of a T-shirt or a patch in your jacket was punished with some jail time. Not to mention the cultural militias that used to spank all Heavy Metal fans at a simple sight. Aria somehow managed to be the first band to reach mainstream media and get a place under the Sun. Even though, they are barely known in the West.

That put, let’s go to “Curse of the Seas” which is Aria’s 13th album, shall we? Aria are still loyal to the so-called traditional Heavy Metal with some dashes of modernity here and there, but with so subtle doses that many won’t notice. “Curse of the Seas” is a class of how to perform your music with integrity making no concessions to any kind of commercialism. Pure 1980’s Metal with all the power and virtuosi an album can have. It’s good to see that the torch is being carried out for a so skilled band. Aria are the real deal.

It’s so hard to pick a song from “Curse of the Seas” and tell it’s the best among 11 songs of a touching musical competence. But if I had to pick only, I’d stick to the twelve minute album title “Curse of the Seas” with all its plot twists and epic riffing. It’s so great to see a band that after a long career of 33 years still have the guts to make an album as “Curse of the Seas.” Each guitar intervention, each vocal line, each riff is calculated as long as you’re not talking to newcomers. “Curse of the Seas” is an album to be proud of. Don’t bother that they sing in Russian, even though song titles are in English. It’s their charm.

Aria “Curse of the Seas” was released on November 13th via M2BA.

Track Listing:

  1. Race for Glory
  2. Varyag
  3. Lucifer
  4. Hard to Be God
  5. Let It Be
  6. Lust Run
  7. Alive
  8. Kill the Dragon
  9. Smoke without Fire
  10. From Sunset to Sunrise
  11. Curse of the Seas

Watch “Curse of the Seas” official video here: