AlisA has stormed onto the Soviet “youth music” scene in 1983, which was then largely confined to the underground, on the crest of the so-called “red wave” of energetic young musicians, poets and artists in open revolt against the stuffy contemporary Soviet culture, the corrupt establishment and the oppressive stagnating regime itself. The band was formed in Saint-Petersburg (then Leningrad) – the hub of all non-conformist cultural activities at the time. Combining elements of punk rock, new wave, hard rock, blues, good old rock’n’roll and other musical styles with strong sincere lyrics by its multi-talented and charismatic front-man, Konstantin Kinchev, it set off on an exciting though perilous creative journey which runs to this day parallel to that of the rest of the Russian people freed from the 70+ year-long nightmare of godless and inhumane tyranny of communist ideology, trying to reconcile itself with its past and searching for renewed national pride and historical purpose.
In his songs, Kinchev himself often uses the images and terms referring to travel as the means of discovering the truth, strengthening the faith, finding the purpose, understanding others, testing oneself and gaining so much in the process. Every turn in Russia’s difficult post-Soviet history, every step on the twisting road out of the darkness of civil and class wars, economic ruin, human suffering, near loss of national identity and dignity, and most tragically persecution of the true faith has been reflected by Alisa in the rich and diverse legacy of one excellent album after another.
AlisA’s road too has not been an easy one. Persecution by authorities and lies in the press, self-destructive drug and alcohol abuse, untimely loss of band members and close friends, difficult search for the true faith – all tested the strength and resolve of Kinchev and his band. On several occasions throughout its 25-year existence, AlisA has found itself a target of narrow-minded, bigoted and savage criticism by some unscrupulous and/or dishonest journalists. These attacks and campaigns ranged from utterly false (and successfully contested) charges of sympathising with Nazism made by the Soviet press, to accusations of religious fanaticism and ultra nationalism coming from later critics with so called “liberal” inclinations.
Yet all who know and understand their work will testify, that the main qualities which Kinchev and his Alisa undeniably possessed from day one, which appealed so much to their audience and equally enraged their enemies have been total sincerity and honesty. The themes, the mood, the style of AlisA’s albums have never been the same but they are all underpinned by the triad of unrelenting Faith, everlasting Hope and eternal Love combined with Kinchev’s and his cohorts’ God-given talents, strong will, generosity of spirit, pain for Russia and respect towards their audience. AlisA’s fans today give it in return the most diverse and energetic following amongst Russian rock bands, with the age range of “alisomani” exceeding the band’s age – from teenagers to “forty-somethings”. Having never followed the trends of the day Alisa has always been one of the most popular and relevant bands in Russia.
Despite a succession of highly acclaimed albums, the excellent quality of music, Kinchev’s vocal abilities, rich professional sound and excellent ever-growing skills of the band’s musicians AlisA is, first and foremost, a live travelling band. To see them live is a privilege every time. Kinchev seems to invest so much of himself in the squall of energy in all its forms which engulfs the audience from the first word, note, beat and flash of light at AlisA’s concerts and the connection with the fans is so palpable and charged, that every concerts becomes an Event, which stays with those who were there for a very long time. They are definitely not doing it for the money, with most of their income coming from live concerts, and with a very busy touring schedule covering a vast country with 10 (!) time-zones, they work bloody hard.
Kinchev’s songs are almost always premiered at concerts and are later included in a new album, which is always strongly themed and is quite unlike the previous one. And yet almost in each new album Kinchev seems to leave a “teaser” song that already points to the direction and style of the next one. It is hard to find a body of work by any band that spans such a period of time while managing to be both so diverse and so consistent. This is the sort of magic that only the greatest musicians can conjure. Make no mistake – Kinchev and his AlisA are Artists with a capital “A”.
To form a good view of where AlisA is today on its ongoing creative journey and where it is headed next, it is best to listen to their last four albums: “It Is Later Than You Think” (’03), “Outcast” (‘05), “Northern Stance” (’07) and “Pulse of the Guardian of Labyrinth’s Doors” (’08). Earlier “must hear” albums which will help to understand how AlisA got to where it is today, include “Energy” (’85), “Blockade” (’87), “Shabash” (’91), “Black Mark” (’94), “Fool” (’97) and Solstice (’99). Other albums also contain some of Kinchev’s best work and are also very good, but do try and see them live and in Russia. Although AlisA has performed abroad, including (most notably for the author) twice in UK, and despite their today’s style of music (with some of the best guitar, drums and keyboard skills anywhere in the world) and stage presentation with superb light-show and pyrotechnics looking very appealing to hard rock, metal and other audiences anywhere in the world, they REALLY connect with a Russian audience trough Kinchev’s excellent poetry that makes up most of AlisA’s lyrics.
In the words of Kinchev himself: “To all those who gave their souls to the wind, who has understood what is Love, but who can also hate, Alisa gives its fire. Let it keep you warm, whilst we are going strong!” He said this 18+ years ago and AlisA is still going from strength to strength.
